The Beginning
by ValaMalDoran-Jackson
Summary: Redo of my previous story of the same name, fixed some errors, spelling, what not, This one should be totally good.
1. Chapter 1

Vala packed quickly, her heart pounding wildly against her ribs.

Fury and terror raged inside her at what Daniel wanted her to do.

He was angry, had every right to be. She moved even faster, grabbing an armload of things from the closet and dumping them into the open suitcase on the bed. Her mind raced with the places she could hide. When Landry heard the news he might suspend her from gate travel indefinitely, take her off the team, anything.

And Daniel. He wanted her to…

Pushing the distasteful thought from her mind with a broken sob she caught before it could erupt into a full blown cry of pain, Vala closed the suitcase and grabbed the handle, giving a sharp upward tug that was instantly caught by a grip of steel.

"Whoa there Princess. Take it easy. I got this." Cam gently pried her cold fingers free and pulled the suitcase off the bed effortlessly. "Is there anything else you need before we go? Walter just called me with the twenty minute warning, I think we'd better make tracks before Jackson gets back." He suggested. Vala hesitated, her mind whirling.

Three days ago, she was carefree, happy, then a stray staff blast to the hip and she was discovered to be five weeks pregnant.

Daniel wanted her to have the fetus removed.

For her own safety.

Vala had told Carolyn that she didn't want the same thing Daniel did, and Carolyn had moved quickly. Contacting Cam, she told him everything, and his sense of right and wrong rebelled at the actions of his friend.

He had asked Vala to stay at his most recently purchased home, help him with the decorating and painting. She agreed, only to get away from Daniel.

And now, here they were, spiriting her away in the middle of the night, under the cover of darkness, to protect her baby.

"Tell you what, I'll get your stuff down into my car while you take a last quick look around. You see anything you want, go ahead and grab it. If it's heavy, leave it for me to carry." Cam ordered. Vala nodded and disappeared into the darkened hallway while he wrestled her luggage down the stairs.

The photos were all she wanted.

Hurrying after Cam, she met him in the entryway of the home she had previously shared with Daniel. "Let's go." she murmured. He nodded once and began switching off the lights as Vala picked her way to his car.

Only when they were safely away did Vala breathe easier.

"You okay?" Mitchell asked after several moments.

"I need you to tell me that thing again." she replied softly.

"You have a divine animal right to protect your life and the life of your child. Unborn and all. Jackson can't force you to do anything to your body you don't want him to." Cam told her gently.

"Thank you." Vala whispered.

The rest of the drive to Cam's home was silent.

Pulling into the driveway, Cam cut the engine and looked to the passenger of the vehicle. "Vala?" he called softly, gently shaking her shoulder when she didn't respond. Jerking awake, she stared at him in fear until he cracked the door to bring on the overhead light. "Come on, let's get you settled." He smiled. Vala followed him up to the house as he searched through the keys to find the one that opened the door. "What if Daniel finds me?" she asked suddenly.

"He won't. I wanted somewhere to live out in country, no one knows about this place but you and me. Just closed the deal last week. Since I own three other places and you won't be showing up there, I figure you're safe. Just to be sure, though, I'm going to be staying with you. You still coming to the SGC?" Cam asked. Vala nodded slightly as he finally opened the door and headed inside, turning on lights as he went.

"You sure this is what you want?" He asked over his shoulder. Vala nodded again, feeling emotionally drained, spent and unsure of anything.

"Right this way." Cam led the way to the master bedroom on the first floor and helped her get settled in before retiring to his own rooms on the second floor. Finally safe, Vala climbed onto the large bed in the center of the room and curled up in the middle of it. Almost of their own volition, her hands sought out the flat expanse of her stomach, skimming the skin gently.

"This is only temporary. Nothing is going to keep us from your daddy, nothing. You and me, we're going to be fine. I promise." She murmured to the unborn baby.

When Daniel had found out about the pregnancy, he was adamant that it be disposed of. Vala's life meant the world to him, and nothing would change that.

He had even promised that he would support her in trying for an adoption if she aborted the baby.

Adoption!

The life of their child was in her hands now, safe. No one would ever hurt her baby.

Not even Daniel.

Vala felt tears prick her eyelids as she curled around her stomach, willing the life inside her to keep growing.

How could he be so cruel as to order her to kill her baby?

When her cell phone vibrated, she reached to the bedside table to pick it up, reading the name before she answered.

Daniel.

Biting her lip, Vala answered.

"I'm not doing it. Not coming back. I don't care if I die giving birth to this baby. I'm not letting you hurt it, ever." She spoke firmly, her tone belying the tears rolling down her face. She kept the anguish out of her voice, using her sleeve to swipe at the tears.

"Honey, I'm only thinking of you. Carolyn said you'd die along with the baby if you try to carry to term. Giving birth will kill you, and I'd rather lose the baby, something that wasn't even supposed to exist in the first place, than lose you. I love you, sweetheart. You need to come home, let me take you to Carolyn and we can have this over with by tomorrow. Nothing is worth your life. Not a baby, not this thing growing inside you. If you want, I'll even marry you by the weekend. Just come home, please." He pleaded.

Vala looked up to see Cam in the doorway, holding up a bottle of medication. She nodded once, and he brought them to her, silently.

"I'm not killing my baby, Daniel. I don't care if it kills me. At least once in my life, I'll have done something to be proud of, something I can look back at and know that I'm not a horrible person." She accepted the glass of water Cam set beside her, then stopped him as he turned to leave.

"Where are you? A hotel?" Daniel finally asked, his voice harsh.

"I'm safe, Daniel. That's all you need to know. Right now, I don't want anything to do with you. When I feel it's time, I'll come back, no other way. Understand?" she snapped, then slapped the phone shut before giving vent to her hurt in a long weary yell that she buried in a pillow.

"Can't believe you stood up to him like that. Didn't think you had it in you, Princess." Cam mused after a moment of silence had passed between them.

"He wants me to kill it. I can't hurt my baby, it's alive. I can't do that. I won't kill my baby. I need it alive, it's the one good thing I've ever done in my entire life, and if I get it removed like Daniel wants, then I probably won't ever do anything good again, and I can't bear the thought of that." Vala murmured.

"Anything you need, just let me know." Cam patted her uninjured leg and stood, heading for his own set of rooms on the second story.

When he was gone, Vala changed into a pair of shorts and one of Daniel's t-shirts, the scent of his aftershave reaching her nose faintly and reminding her once again of why she was doing this.

Her baby.

Taking a deep breath, she nestled down into the fluffy bed and closed her eyes, a hand stealing down to gently rub her stomach where her baby was growing.

"Don't be frightened, my darling. I won't let anyone, not even your daddy, hurt you. I swear it. You are a gift to me, someone I can't wait to see soon. So, hurry up and get bigger. Hear me? I want to see you. You need to keep getting bigger, so that we can finally meet." She whispered into the darkness. Kissing her fingertips, she touched them to her stomach tenderly before giving her stomach a gentle pat. "Be good." She whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I would like to say thank you to my three lovely reviewers, babyred 1995, Athena121, and MONEBUDDHA. I am excited to have recieved such lovely reviews, and would like to explain that, yes, I did (purposefully) portray a certain (beloved) character (for me anyway) in an obviously out of character way. However, I have personal experience with certain issues, in which several members of my family were definitely OOC for me, and I wanted to portray a depth of love and anguish in such a way as to make Daniel almost evil. In any case, I believe that when faced with the impending loss of his significant other (again, and after losing his beloved Sha're), Daniel reacted in a "knee-jerk" manner quite appropriate for one of his background, first as a child losing his parents, then losing his foster parents as he was plunged into the foster care system, and finally after gaining his wife and family on Abydos only to lose them again.**

**Please keep reading, and I promise you things will definitely get better!**

**VMD-J**

Cam loved cooking.

There was just something about watching slabs of pork become crispy strips of bacon, drenched in its own fat and dripping the juicy goodness through the thickest of paper towels that he had spread lavishly across a plate, that made his mouth water.

That didn't mean he didn't also love saving the world. The two sort of…hinged on one another. Without a bellyful of grease drenched bacon, pancakes or waffles, scrambled eggs, toast with a thick encrustation of butter and jelly or jam or both (depending on his desire for maximum Jackson annoyance due to the sugar rush that day), sausage, and two bowls of corn pops for dessert, he wouldn't be able to think on his feet, shoot like a sniper, and keep tabs on Jackson off world, all at the same time.

Speaking of his teammate…

Wincing as he speared another strip of the meat and received several boiling splatters against his skin in retaliation, he glanced at the neatly set table and sighed. Okay, not so neatly. Waffles were stacked haphazardly on separate plates from where he had tossed them in an attempt to alleviate his burned fingers after grabbing them out of the toaster a few moments ago. Syrup clung to nearly every surface along with clumps of melted butter. Egg goo had caked on the stove, and at least a third of the shredded cheese had spilled across the counter in his hurried dash to get to the forgotten and somewhat burnt eggs.

Who needed perfection? Pregnant woman ate everything they could put their hands on.

At least, that's what Gramma Mitchell always said.

"Vala, Heads up on breakfast!" Mitchell's shout pulled the sleeping woman awake almost instantly, she blinked twice in the morning sunlight spreading across her bed and smiled before stretching and turning onto her side away from the bright rays. Dragging the blanket over her head, she burrowed deeper into the warmth of her nest before closing her eyes and sighing in satisfaction. Before long, she was sleeping again.

"Vala."

She swatted at the hand shaking her shoulder gently yet insistently.

"I don't recall asking for a wakeup call this early." she grumbled into her pillow. His response was to yank the blanket away from her, forcing her to roll over again to hide from the sunlight. Cameron tugged her arm.

"Vala, come on. You're setting a bad example for the kid already, and it's not even here. It's going to be just as sleepy as you, and that's saying something. Course, with Jackson as the daddy, it might inherit the gene that never sleeps." He shook her again when she nodded off.

"Cameron, please. I just fell asleep." She pleaded.

"Fifteen hours ago, yeah. Come on. Breakfast is on the table, getting cold. Baby needs food." he tempted her with the promise of food, and now that she was conscious Vala could indeed smell the unmistakable aroma of freshly prepared bacon, eggs, and waffles. Her favorite meal. "Alright, I'm awake, you can stop shaking me." she grumbled, sitting up and swinging her legs over the edge of the mattress. "Don't you have a planet to save?" she went on, giving him as stern a glare as she could muster that early in the morning.

"Cancelled. Jackson called the general and told him you had disappeared to parts unknown, wanted you found. Landry scrubbed the mission and called me and the rest of the team. I explained the goings on to him, and he's covering for you until the baby is born. Then, you're on your own, Jackson-wise."

"I should really call Samantha. Let her know what's going on." Vala sighed, sliding off the bed.

"Yeah, about that. Might want to be careful how you tell her things. She might have some differing views on things, and if you start out telling your version, it might offend her enough to take Jackson's side. Not only that, you might lose a valuable friend. Test the waters first, see what her views on things are before you just start plugging away at Jackson." Mitchell suggested.

"You sound as if I might be trying to pick a fight." Vala grumbled.

"Yeah, well, you're not exactly known for your tact." Mitchell replied.

"Name me three instances when I didn't have perfect tact." She pouted, thinking she had him there.

"There was the time you told General Landry he should think about losing a few pounds, the time you told Jackson that I was the one that nicked his car in the parking lot, that time with Sam about a year ago when she swore never to speak to you again the last planet we visited, which incidentally is how you found out you were pregnant…should I keep going or have I made my point?" Mitchell asked with a slight grin.

"No, no, that should be sufficient. Honestly, how you keep track of things like that is beyond me." Vala smiled back, getting up with a wince as she put pressure on her wounded leg. "What was it that Carolyn wanted me to do again? Keep the pills down and what else?" She asked as she followed him to the kitchen.

"Keep your leg active. Walk around on it and all. Not so much that you don't give it time to heal, but enough that it doesn't get stiff. Like when you get leg cramps after playing basketball or football. All the injury and running we did to get away from the natives on PX-whatever stressed it. Just walk around a bit after you eat. Should be okay." Mitchell replied.

They ate in silence for several minutes before Vala set her fork down to ask the question foremost on her mind. "What if Daniel never wants the baby?"

Mitchell glanced up at her softly voiced worry, knew what she was really asking.

"You won't have to worry about that. He loves kids, spends half his time off world talking to them, and he's mentioned to me once in passing how he and his wife were trying to have a baby. Even if he's out of his mind angry with you right now, he'll be there for the kid. He's not going to pull your dad's bag of tricks on it. Popping in and out of it's life when it's convenient for him. He's going to be around for everything, good or bad. That's just the kind of guy he is. You won't be raising the baby alone." he replied firmly, hoping to allay her fears.

She nodded, and he tossed a strip of bacon at her. "But you already knew that." He teased.

She smiled and tossed it back. "Don't throw your food." She smirked. Cameron laughed, taking his plate to the sink.

"So, how you want to play this? You get there first, or you want to come in after me? Or you want to just show up together? Which, now that I think about it, might give Jackson the wrong idea. You first, or me?" he asked.

Vala smiled at his worries, although they knew she was really wondering the same thing herself.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: WOW! my reviewers are awesome! Still, I feel as if I should clarify a few things. First, has anyone but me noticed that Cam seems to be the perpetual "sunshine" of the SGC? It has alway seemed as if he never gave up on anything, always tried to see the good. I know I'm really going OOC, and AU, but I feel he's the polar opposite of Daniel at this point. Yes, Carolyn said Vala and the baby would die, but if the gal wants to fight, Cam would be at her side 100%. He's trying to keep her mind off the fact that she and her baby are supposedly not going to survive. Not wanting her to give up and surrender to depression. All I can say is, keep reading. It gets better. Trust me, I have things worked out in my mind. (Okaaaay, that sounded so MUCH better in my head, no clue why, lol!)**

It had finally happened.

The _unthinkable. _

**_The horror!_**

Vala sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the brightly colored bag that held several books.

Baby name books, baby guide books, even some child behaviour modifying books. Vala had refused those outright, but Mitchell had insisted.

He wanted her to skim through them all, only taking the information she chose. Nothing more, nothing less.

At the sudden welling of tears in her eyes, Cam sighed heavily.

"I'm not saying you beat the kid as soon as it comes out, more like what my gramma did to me. Anytime me and my brother acted up, she'd swat us good across the backside. I turned out okay for it."

"Cameron, I am not spanking my baby. Or my child." Vala snapped, her grey eyes firm with resolve.

"Fine. But when it's screaming in the middle of a restaurant or tearing around the church and knocking over the holy water, remember we had this conversation." He replied.

"What would my baby be doing in a church? Or knocking over holy water for that matter? Cameron, you're not making any sense and it's all because of that grandmother of yours slapping you silly." Vala placed the offending books on the nightstand as far away from her baby as she could get them.

"Okay, how about I just take these to the den. When you're ready, you can get them of your own free will." Cam tossed the books out into the hallway and took another from the bag. "Oooh, baby names. Might wanna' give this some thought. Cover looks cute." He handed it to her and went back into the bag, emerging with three different books. "_What to expect when you're expecting. Pregnancy and beyond. Bringing your new baby home_. I think you should definitely take a look at these. Again, not saying you have to read them cover to cover, just look through and pick up things you need. Or, whatever. Anyway, meds, vitamins, fluids, rest. Carolyn says if you've been pulled off active gate duty until the baby comes, and only wants to see you at the mountain no more than twice a week until the baby gets a little bigger. I know this is going to drive you crazy, but as of today you have a problem pregnancy. Take care of the kid, and you'll end up taking care of yourself. Remember what Carolyn said, you and Jackson are two radically different people. You're going to have a baby that reflects those differences. If you are truly serious about going through with this whole pregnancy, you need to alter your life."

"I will. Taking everything Carolyn told me, I'll do it. I want this baby. More than anything, I want him." Vala stated firmly.

"So, you know it's a boy now?" Mitchell asked, a goofy grin breaking onto his face.

"No, he's still too small, but I just have this gut feeling that it's a boy. I've learned to trust my gut, it never leads me wrong. Now, I think I need to come up with names for him. And no, I'm not naming him Daniel Junior. I was never fond of the compunction to continue a line of names, how on your blasted planet could you keep them all separate? I mean, granted, you've got about five to seven nicknames, but after that if someone yells the name, the entire family comes running. My son will have his own name, thank you very much." Vala smiled, gently touching the still flat planes of her belly. "No offense, but, are you sure you're having a baby? You're still too skinny, it might just be a parasite?"

"Very funny, Cameron. I heard his little heartbeat today. Carolyn said the baby was healthy, so far. Then she gave me that monstrous list of things to watch out for." Vala sighed, raising her head to glance at her friend.

"And on that note, I'll just be heading to order dinner. Any suggestions?"

"Chinese."

"Chinese it is." and he was gone. Vala made herself comfortable and turned on the plasma TV, letting the mindless Saturday cartoon characters lull her tortured nerves into a state of calm once more.

In the kitchen, Cam placed the order and stood staring at the photo of his teammtes, Sam, Daniel, Teal'c, Vala, Jack and Ella, and he had been captured in the gateroom some several months before, as usual Vala's ear to ear grin stood out in the mix. Carolyn had to be wrong. She had to be. Losing Vala would take the sunshine ot of the SGC.

That morning, Carolyn had pulled him off to the side and told him the truth about his friend's condition. Vala was unable to carry a child to term. To do so would kill her, and the baby with her. Vala knew the risks, and had arranged to have her baby delivered early in a bid to save its life.

Sliding down the wall, Cam found himself on the floor as the implications hit.

They were losing Vala. Gaining a baby, for sure, but losing Vala. He didn't know he was sobbing until a pair of arms came around his frame and Vala pulled him back into her embrace.

"I shouldn't...you can't..." he managed.

She wrapped herself around him as he clung to her, weeping openly, gently rocking him in a comforting motion as her tiny hand stroked his back.

"It's alright darling." She murmured against his hair. "I can't, otherwise I'll never stop crying. But you can let this out for us both." She continued.

They clung to one another like that, each pulling comfort and strength from the other.


	4. Chapter 4

Vala picked at the food on her plate, her mind whirling with what Daniel had told her about their baby. Apparently, a problem pregnancy meant that it was going to die anyway, and she shouldn't waste time or energy caring for it through herself. Up till that point, she had understood that her life was the one in danger, so far. If only she could survive long enough to give birth to her baby, that was all that mattered. It was why she had struggled to protect her baby, struggled against the odds, the outside forces, the what-have-you that were conspiring to kill her baby and take her with them. Her life was meaningless, so long as her baby lived.

"You okay?" Cam asked, tapping her foot under the table. Vala nodded, keeping her eyes on her food. Somehow, she would find the strength.

"I don't want you talking to Jackson until the baby's born." Mitchell announced suddenly. Vala's head snapped up in surprise, her eyebrows arching upwards slightly. "When he calls, you go into a depression that lasts for days. Just as you start coming out of it, he calls again. Depressive funk is back. I took your cell phone out of your room, deleted Jackson's number from it, and programmed it to restrict unknown calls. Until that kid pops out, I don't want him getting in touch with you." He explained.

"Why is Daniel so against the baby?" She asked then, her grey eyes dark with worry.

"He's scared. Plain and simple. He knows you're going to…" He waved a hand vaguely, she nodded in understanding. "He doesn't understand why you think risking your life for a baby that probably is going to…" Another hand wave, she nodded again. "He's afraid of losing you, the person he can touch, taste, smell, hear. To him, you're most important. To you, your baby's most important. I like you both, I don't like watching someone I care about and call a friend dying on my watch, but you've made yourself perfectly clear on this matter. I believe in your decision. May not like the end result, but you can count on me in your corner. You want this baby over your life, I can understand. I don't like it. But I'm not the kind of guy that fights a losing battle. I tend to back a winning horse. I don't believe he's gotta' pressure you into a decision, which is why I'm proud of how you're sticking to your belief." Cameron slid a slice of toast out of the toaster and began buttering it as Vala returned to her food.

"Is he right?" She asked a few moments later.

"Doesn't matter if I think he's right. What matters is if you think you're right. Stick to that." Mitchell smiled.

"I need to know why it's wrong, what Daniel wants me to do." she pleaded softly.

"It's murder. Plain and simple. Just because it's an inconvenience, or even that it's going to eventually kill you, doesn't mean you kill it. Just means that we get to love it more after you're gone." Mitchell explained, sitting down and taking a sip of coffee. Vala nodded and stared at her food, teasing her fork through the now cold meal.

"Tell me why you want me to talk about me having a life with my baby? If I'm going to die, what's the point of having any discussion at all about it?" She suddenly asked.

_Aaah, the true heart of the matter._

Sighing, he leaned against the back of his chair. "Because even though you and I both know you're not going to be around, it won't hurt to dream. Keep your spirits up, as it were. You never know, miracles can sometimes happen when and where you least expect it. Case in point, the Ori told you in no uncertain terms that you would never carry another child. Yet, here we are, several months in, and, what is this inside you? A baby. They may try, but they'll never win. This is your miracle, Vala. Just because you won't be around to see it, doesn't make it any less special, or miraculous. As far as Jackson goes, he doesn't see the miraculous. He just knows that he's going to lose you. He can't see that a baby will be a good thing. Even if he doesn't want it, I guarantee you, I will make certain your baby has a good home. Sam and Jack, probably will take him in. If they don't, I will. But I promise you, nothing bad will ever happen to your baby. And, who knows? Miracles sometimes happen twice. 'Bout time SG1 stopped getting kicked around, anyway. But all this worry is going to burn you up. You need to let go of the bad stuff and worry about the good. So, in the spirit of what we just talked about, do you have a name picked out yet? What room in yours and Daniel's house are you going to redecorate as the nursery? What colors? What theme? What bedtime story are you going to start it off with? You know, all the good stuff."

"I was thinking maybe one Teal'c knows, about the Go'auld Setesh. He swore it wasn't frightening, and that my child would definitely have to know it, be able to pass it down to his or her own children. As for the room, since I'm almost positive it's a boy, I want to paint the walls and ceiling dark blue."

"Sounds good. Hey, got your list of stuff you want me to pick up for you while I'm out later this evening? If not, just leave it on the table when you're ready. I snagged Jackson's credit card from his wallet while he was showering last week, so I'd say shoot for the moon." Cam grinned, holding up his friend's black American Express card.

"And you wait until now to tell me this?" Vala sputtered in pretend anger.

"Figured you could use some cheering up." He smirked, bumping her shoulder with his hip as he passed. "Landry called, Samantha was injured on the last mission, he's giving the team some time off. Why didn't you tell me Samantha was hurt?" Vala asked then.

"Because I know you. You'd scramble up and out of here so fast, your head would spin. It wouldn't be good for the baby if you did all that excited moving. You'd want to make sure she was okay, keep her talking about girl stuff until long into the night when she needs to rest. Speaking of rest, I have something that might get her kicked off the team. If I tell you, you'll have to swear to me that you won't tell a soul."

"Sworn. Agreed, sworn. Now tell me."

"Sam's pregnant too. You promised you wouldn't say anything, remember? You have to act as if you don't know anything until she tells you. She found out a few days ago, she's not telling anyone right now until she can tell General O'Neill. I just happened to find the pregnancy test on the counter when we were switching off in the bathroom. She forgot she left it until she was halfway down the hall, came flying back and pounded on the door until I let her in. Searched the trash to find it. She completely flipped when she saw me looking at it, threatened to have Teal'c pound me into atoms if I breathed a word to anyone. So, same threat, but on you." Mitchell grinned. Vala sighed heavily and chewed her lip, staring at the table.

"How far along?" She finally asked.

"Two weeks, or so Carolyn thinks. That would put her three monthsish behind you."

"We'll have to arrange a playdate for her little girl and my little boy. Yes, Samantha's having another little girl. Wonder what they'll name this one?"

"Ella Grace Naomie was a good one. Sam told Jack she'd let him name the second one if she could have first baby's name. Here's hoping he goes for Lisa Simpson O'Neill." Mitchell slipped on his shoes and paused at the back door.

"Heading out for a run, you need anything before I go?" he asked.

"Daniel's credit card, and the Victoria's Secret catalogues. Other than that, I've got the cell if I need anything." Vala smiled Cam nodded and handed over the card. "Thank you so much Cameron. You won't regret this!" She squealed, reaching to hug him.

"Right. I won't, but Jackson will." Cam hugged her, ever careful of her barely there baby bump. "You two be good." he teased, tweaking her nose and pushing open the back door. Vala patted her baby's small resting place and headed for her room to rest with the Victoria's Secret.


	5. Chapter 5

Thirty minutes into his run Cam's cell went off, Britney Spears Toxic, clueing him in to who was calling.

"Cameron, I'm bleeding, there's blood all over. I had to go to the bathroom, when I got there I was bleeding. Not like last time, not spotting, it's…it just keeps coming. The toilet's full of it, and I'm terrified, I didn't want to-"

"Call Carolyn. I'm going to cut through the neighbor's yards to get there faster. Get in the car, I'll be home in three. When I hang up, call Carolyn immediately, tell her everything you just told me. Understand?" Cam barked. Vala was beginning to panic, he could hear it in her voice.

"Do I need to take anything with me?" She asked fearfully.

"No. I'll come back later if you have to stay overnight. Just get in the car. I can see the house. Hang up now, call Carolyn." Cameron ordered. He vaulted the last fence, darted through the hedge and up the driveway, hitting the garage remote as he did. Rolling under the slowly rising door, he made it to his feet in under a second and yanked open the drivers side door on his Mustang, Vala sitting in the passenger's side on the cell with Carolyn. "She said we need to leave right now." she murmured, tears making their way down her cheeks. Mitchell cursed under his breath, hating Daniel for making her cry. "Take a breath darlin'. The baby and you are both going to be fine." He said louder when she hung up.

"Did you close the garage door?" She asked softly. Mitchell nodded once, intent on the road as he weaved in and out of traffic. Reaching the mountain twenty minutes later, he scrambled around to Vala's side of the car and yanked her door open, gently sliding his arms under and around her and lifting her out of the car. With a backwards kick, he slammed the door and began a headlong rush for the mountain. Carolyn met them at the entrance with a gurney, worry lining her brow. "You said you would be here ten minutes ago." she snapped, taking Vala's pulse while hurrying beside the gurney. "Cargo elevator, comes out right by the infirmary." She continued, pushing the SF's faster toward the already open cargo doors.

"Is Daniel down there?" Vala asked, her voice cracking with fear. Carolyn looked up to find Mitchell with her eyes, silently asking for help.

"I shall have him removed." Teal'c rumbled, appearing silent as a shadow at Vala's side, one hand grasping hers reassuringly.

"No, please, I want him there, please, get him, he needs to know, I can't do this without him, please!" Vala begged, twisting in sudden pain. "Outta' the way! Comin' through, make a hole!" Mitchell shouted when the cargo doors opened. SF's darted out of the way, flattening against the wall as the gurney rolled past them. Mitchell looked down to see Vala's fingers whiten against Teal'c's when her grip on his hand turned desperate. "Don't let them take my baby, please," She pleaded softly when the gurney came to a halt.

"Teal'c, Mitchell, I need you two out." Carolyn ordered, already prepping Vala for an exam.

"Get Daniel!" Vala called as Mitchell left.

Two hours after the excitement, Carolyn came out of the examination room, her normally pretty features drawn and worried.

"Vala?" Mitchell asked quietly.

"She's lost a lot of blood, but she's out of danger. The baby too. Has she been listening to my instructions on taking care of herself?" Carolyn asked, pinning the flyboy with a dark stare that boded no good for him.

"As far as I know, yeah. I've made her stay in bed all day, she's taken the meds you've prescribed, she's eaten anything and everything I put in front of her, I keep her hydrated, get her chocolate when she asks, I give her anything and everything she needs, if she loses her baby it's from nothing I've done. I swear." He quickly complied with the silent order she gave to tell her everything.

"Don't worry Colonel, Vala already told me she'd been putting in time on the treadmill when you were on your run every day. Evidently, she thinks that if you can do some action, so can she. I pulled her fingernails out 'til she promised to stay in bed until I tell her she's capable of walking. From now on, my suggestion is you tie her down when you need time to run." Carolyn sighed.

"I'll do better than that. I'll grab Jackson's credit cards and let her shop her way through Victoria's Secret, if she promises to stay in bed." He replied with a relieved grin. "May we be allowed to see her?" He added. Carolyn nodded and led the way to Vala's private exam room where she was resting quietly.

Vala was pale, her eyes swollen and lined with red, curled around her unborn baby, both hands resting on the bump.

"Hey, heard you and baby were going to be okay." Cam smiled, going for comforting. Tears sprouted from her eyes again at his words, almost impossibly she clenched tighter around her belly.

"I almost lost him, Cameron." she wept against him when he scooped her up, sheet and all.

"You'll be staying overnight to see if you start bleeding again, everything's going to be fine. Now you know why you can't move around, you could lose him. It's a bad time for you to be doing that, he needs a little more time to grow before he can make it on his own out here. I'll grab the rest of Jackson's credit cards if you'll just take it easy with your pregnancy for now. Baby Boy needs you strong, you want him to be okay when he comes, don't you?" Mitchell asked gently. Vala nodded, aware for the first time in her life of her own limitations. "You want me to stay with you tonight? I can order Chinese, we'll look those baby books you haven't once cracked open?" He offered then. She pulled away and wiped her eyes, nodding once.

"But I want Italian. Not Chinese." she replied somewhat calmly.

"Italian it is." Cam chuckled.


	6. Chapter 6

Vala eased into a more comfortable position against the couch armrest, the thing digging into her back. "Careful." Mitchell called from where he lay on the floor connecting wires and various other things to other…things. "Okay, next step?" He continued a few moments later.

"'Affix'…Now there's a strange word if I ever heard one. 'Affix'. Cameron, what does 'affix' mean?" Vala looked up from the wiring guide in her lap to give her companion a curious look.

"It's just like if the book says to put something together with something else. Two wires need to be affixed, Vala. Which two?" He paused in the repair job and waited for her answer.

"Yellow to green. The book says once that's done, the affixed, there's that word again, the affixed parts should be operational once more. However, I don't believe it will. Main reason, you are using a butter knife in place of a flathead screwdriver. I can't foresee anything but distress for that outcome. In your case, anyway. Mine is only hilarity. Unless I have to get up, and then you're on your own." She teased.

"Flatheads are at my other place, and Jackson seems to have the whole stalking thing down, watching it like a hawk. I figure I'll lay low until Landry calls me back in. Place could do with a little fixing up anyway." Cam's eyes gleamed with inner light when he raised his head. "I used to dream about being an architect, before I joined the military. I always liked seeing something I'd design grow to be a home or something, you know? When I joined the military, I couldn't keep up the courses and all for that, so I started buying houses, fixing them up, then selling them. Made enough money after a few years of that to buy a house and keep it, fixed it up the way I wanted, made that my starter home. Course, that was about fifteen years ago. This is only the fifth one I've owned and actually kept. I want to take that wall out, completely. Knock down the stairs, make them into a spiral staircase. That would give me more room here in the entryway, living room, and den area. I also want to knock down the walls in the four rooms upstairs and make them into one large open game room. Theater seats, panel tv against one wall, total man cave up there." He explained. Vala could see he enjoyed the thought of the hard work it would take to turn the large house into his dream home. "Once I get it all fixed up, I'm going to move out of the place I live in now, maybe sell that one, but who knows. You got any plans?" He asked. Vala shrugged once and stared at the book open in front of her. "If Daniel still denies me and the baby when he's born, I'll opt for living quarters on base. Two other single mothers have done that, and their children are fine. I'll be able to go off world and still be a mother to him." She replied.

"You might want to ask Landry if you could paint the rooms a more family oriented color, not the drab concrete stuff. You need help with the paint job, I'm your man." Cam smiled over his shoulder.

"Now what?" he continued.

"Flick the switch. It should be fine now."

Cameron replaced the wires and outlet cover before plugging the lamp in and switching it on.

A shower of sparks, a tongue of fire licking up from the wall, and a snap as all the power in the house was cut off were the only things that happened.

"I know you're going to blame this one on me, but in my defense, I did warn you that this would happen." Vala said after a moment of stunned silence.

"Yep, yep, you did. Got the flashlight?" Cam sighed heavily. He heard the squeak of the couch as she sat up and began feeling around in the darkness for the light.

"Are you standing?" He asked sternly. "Sitting up, nothing more. Not going to risk my baby again, darling." She countered from somewhere on the couch. Cam fumbled on the floor for his lighted screwdriver, a gift from his grandmother the year before she died. When his hand closed around it, he pressed the switch to illuminate the darkness and help Vala locate the flashlight.

"Probably just a blown fuse. I'll go turn everything back on." He sighed once they had lit a few hurricane lamps. While he was gone, Vala touched her stomach with tender fingertips.

"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen. You and I are going to have some fun times when you finally get here. I'll teach you how to protect yourself, how to fight and how to cry on cue. Although, since I'm about ninety-nine percent sure you're a boy, maybe I won't teach you that one. But I can also teach you so many other things. You won't even know until you get here all the things I have planned for us to see and do together." She spoke as if her child could hear her, wanting to cement the bond she had already begun in her mind.


	7. Chapter 7

"Yo, Jackson. Wanna' spar a bit?" Mitchell's slap across his back was enough to give Daniel the impetus he needed.

Rage over the man taking Vala away burned through him and he forced a smile.

"Sure Cam. After you." He extended an arm toward the gym, missing the grim smile his teammate wore. Pulling on the requisite headgear and gloves, he moved fluidly across the sparring mat.

He was ready to fight, was actually looking forward to -

- Lying on the mat staring at the ceiling.

His mind groggily replayed the last few seconds of what he could remember, and, dimly, he recalled Mitchell's haymaker connecting solidly with his jaw. That settled the question of how he ended up on his back. Shaking his head, he rolled onto his side, felt warmth drip from between his lip. He watched three bright red drops of blood land on his sleeve and surged to his feet.

"Come on, Jackson. What're you waiting for?" Cam asked.

The words were deceptively masked. Anyone nearby would have thought it was good natured teasing between friends.

Daniel knew they were meant to wound.

Rising out of his crouch with a battle cry, he plowed into Mitchell and began pummeling the first hint of flesh he could find. Right hook to the jaw, and he was back on the floor.

"You know, your girlfriend is one tough cookie. You keep knocking her off her feet, and she just rolls with the punches and gets back up." Mitchell continued. Daniel was up and swinging wildly, just wanting to shut the other man up.

He caught Mitchell in the stomach, felt something akin to pleasure as he watched his friend double over from the pain.

"You know, she hits harder than you do. She throws books at me, now. Said if I couldn't talk about you nice, she'd kill me. She's flat on her back, carrying the kid you want her to kill, and she's defending you." Mitchell panted, easing back up. When Daniel moved back in to follow up, Mitchell cracked him hard in the ribs, following with another punch to the jaw. While Daniel was making his way to his feet, Cam kicked him, hard, knocking him back to the mat.

"She's been through so much, and you just…you just keep making her feel worse. Dammit, Jackson, she's dying. She knows it. But she's carrying this baby as long as she can in the hope he makes it. She's willing to give up her life to give him his. I gotta' tell you, man, you don't deserve her. You don't deserve the baby. Sad part is, she's doing this for the best reason of all, a life that you two created, and you continually cut her down because of it. Don't think I haven't noticed how you treat her in the commissary, how you give her barely a passing glance as you both sit in the briefing room. Carter and General O'Neill see it too. In fact, Sam asked me to talk with you about it."

He slid down the wall to rest on the floor, sensing that his words had finally hit home.

"Sam asked you to beat the crap out of me?" Daniel finally asked.

"Uh, actually, no. Her exact words were, 'Cam, I just need you to tell him Vala needs him right now. No fights or anything, just, talking.' Someone else said you were thick skulled, contrary, and in general when you think you're right you fight tooth and nail to protect your point of view. So, I decided to rough you up a bit." Mitchell replied. The two fell silent for several moments while Daniel considered this.

"That would be General O'Neill. He actually endorsed my suggestion." Mitchell added when his teammate hadn't spoken.

"I can't lose her. Can't lose someone else I love." Daniel finally murmured.

"Don't. Don't go there. She's got a plan. She always does. Her and Carolyn have been talking about this for weeks. It's gonna' be risky, but Carolyn says there might be hope if Vala doesn't carry to term. She's figuring out a way to take the baby before he's ready, but able to live in an incubator. Fingers crossed, it'll work." Mitchell explained.

"You couldn't have told me this before you beat the hell out of me?" Daniel asked, a grin lighting his features.

"Vala didn't want you to know, in the chance that things go south. As her teammate, I understand the need for silence. As a friend to both of you, I felt it was my call. She didn't specifically ask me not to tell you. Just mentioned that she wasn't going to do so until they had set a date for all this and ironed out the details. So, if words get back to a certain young woman who goes by the name Vala, I'm denying that I ever told you anything. Understood?"

At Daniel's nod, Cam gently punched him in the shoulder.

"We good?" He asked.

Daniel sighed, stood and pulled off a glove to extend his hand to his friend, pulling Mitchell to his feet.

"Yeah, we're good." he replied. As they filed out of the exercise room, Daniel paused. "Hey Cam?"

Mitchell turned, caught an uppercut to the jaw, crashing down to the floor in surprise.

"Okay, now we're good." Daniel smiled.


	8. Chapter 8

The storm raged outside, thunder crashing every forty-eight seconds. It was what had woken her from a restless, dreamless sleep.

Vala had been timing them for the last two hours. Practice for her contractions, as Mitchell had suggested earlier in the day.

Not a bad idea.

So, here she was, curled up underneath a thick quilt and flinching every time she heard a clap. She and Daniel hadn't spoken since the night she left him, he barely looked at her in the briefing room, and when she entered the mess hall, he would leave.

So much for his promise to stick by her through their worst problems.

Glad to know she could count on him to pull a Jacek when things became even the slightest bit rough.

And, now, harshest night of the year, and all she wanted was to be held in his arms again. Even living with Mitchell had her feeling as if she was alone.

Shuddering at the sound of thunder as lightening bathed her room in a blue-white glow for the briefest of seconds, Vala felt an answering shiver in her gut.

It was so slight, she truly wondered if she had felt it at all. When it came again, she gasped out loud as she fully grasped what this meant. Rolling over, she grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand and hesitated, suddenly terrified.

She couldn't call Daniel. Not now. Not after the things he had said.

It had been almost five months, she could stand up to him. Or, so she hoped. Forgetting the fact that it was barely past two in the morning, she dialed his number (pulled off Sam's cell several weeks before) and waited through the rings.

" 'lo?" Daniel grappled with his cell phone and clamped it to his ear, wiping his eyes free of sleep while he waited for the person on the other end to speak. When his hand touched a tender place on his cheekbone, he winced.

"Jack?" he asked after a moment of silence. "Sam?"

"Me." Vala's softly accented voice hit him like a blow to the stomach, he was suddenly wide awake.

"Vala." he murmured.

"Yeah."

They were silent for several seconds before she breathed a laugh.

"Okay?" Daniel asked.

"Yes." She fell silent again. He could hear her sniffing, holding back tears.

"What's-?"

"Baby."

"Sorry."

Another few seconds of silence while they accustomed to speaking with one another again.

"Kicking."

"Who?"

"Me."

"Who?"

Vala sighed as if she thought he was the most dense thing on the planet.

"The baby, he's kicking me. I can feel it. From the inside. If I press down with my fingers, very gently, I can barely feel him kick my fingers. I wish you could feel it." She explained. Daniel relaxed until her sentences registered in his sleep encrusted brain.

"Wait, you're still-?"

"Yes, pregnant still. I couldn't get rid of him, Daniel. Not when it might be the only chance I have to ever have a baby, I need him. I can't lose him. Even if it means that I'll die giving birth, I want him to have a chance. I've already spoken to someone, they promised me that if I die in childbirth, they will care for my baby. You don't have to worry about him. Not if you still feel the way you do now." She explained.

Daniel breathed out a sigh. "I don't like this."

"I know. You think I'm selfish and immature, giving up my life on a whim that might not even survive inside me, let alone the birthing process."

Her words cut him deep, the words he had said to her in anger when she told him her decision to keep the baby. Their baby.

"No, not that. I don't like sleeping alone. Maybe we could talk about this sometime? I mean, you know, if that's okay with you." He finally replied.

"Fine. But you don't get to talk about killing my baby." She immediately countered.

"And you say nothing about me talking in my sleep." Daniel couldn't resist.

She giggled at that, and he knew she was opening up to him.

"Maybe you could let me know where you are, so I could feel the baby kick too?" He asked gently. Vala hesitated, her heart pounding.

_Never lead the enemy to your home._

Jacek had drilled that into her brain since before she could walk.

_Forgiveness is the better part of valor._

Jack always said that to Sam when she picked his socks up off the floor for the umpteenth time and lobbed them at his head.

Technically speaking, Jacek's advice wasn't for everyone, he had never been around for her.

Sam and Jack had been together for years, and were still going strong.

"Cam's new place. He bought a house in the country, been remodeling it for the past few months. I've been helping when and where I can, as best as I can." She finally told him, naming off the address so he could come to her.


	9. Chapter 9

Daniel's hand rested on her stomach, his warmth seeping through the thin t-shirt she wore.

"Wow. I never really got a chance to…You know, I never thought… It's unbelievable how..."

He had been doing that a lot. Begin a sentence, finish it in his mind, and leave her hanging.

Vala took a deep breath as she touched the gentle swell of her womb, covering his fingers with her own as their child continued to move.

"It's like it knows we're here." She heard Daniel murmur after the third flutter in under a minute.

"And now you know why I couldn't have killed him, Daniel. This child is the one good thing in my life that I've ever done. The one good thing I've been able to continue. Samantha said she never thought she'd ever be so happy as to have Ella in her arms for the first time, and I'd give anything to know that feeling, know that I created him, protected him, nourished him. He's too small to say so for himself, but I know he wants to live. Feel him kick, Daniel. He's strong. He wants to survive." Vala found herself almost pleading for her unborn child, praying that Daniel would agree and let her carry to term. If he refused again, she would have no choice but to remove him from her life. Screw the consequences, her baby was going to live.

Daniel pulled his hand away from the baby, his face unreadable.

"Carolyn said you would most likely die while giving birth to it. Have you considered that?" He finally asked.

"I have. And I've asked someone to look after the baby if that is a likelihood. Just in case. I want my baby to be cared for, even if I'm not around to do so myself. I've been working on something called 'a will' with Cameron. Anyway, it's stated plainly and in no uncertain terms that you have first chance at keeping our baby. If you can't stomach the idea of taking on the responsibility of him, I will understand and his godparent will take over." She replied evenly.

His heart lurched with the thought of someone else raising his baby.

His baby.

For the first time since she had announced her pregnancy, Daniel had slipped and allowed himself to believe the thing was even living. Judging by the flutters under her skin, the baby was very much alive.

"Vala," he began slowly, praying to whatever gods and goddesses were listening in and were actually interested in their plight, "Believe me when I say that this is the best thing that has ever happened to me. But I can't just sit by and do nothing while your life is threatened. I love you, I want the best for you, I want you with me, can't you understand that? I see it like this, we're stranded on a hostile planet, and this pregnancy is trying to kill you, it's the enemy. I would kill it, just as I would if it were coming at you fully grown, weapon raised to kill you. Self defense, Vala, don't you see?"

"Him! You would kill him. Say it. Tell me you would kill our baby, my baby, your baby. Say it. I need to hear you say it, Daniel." She barked harshly.

And he couldn't. The pregnancy was killing her, slowly, effortlessly, and he couldn't look her in the eye and take it away from her.

"Alright. If it means so much to you, I won't talk about killing it. Have you started thinking of names yet?" He asked, hoping she would allow him to change the subject.

"I have, and because I'm so sure he's a boy, I'd like to name him -"

"Jacek?" Daniel teased.

"Absolutely not. My son deserves an honest name. No, I made a promise to Samantha a few years back after a scandalously large amount of Chinese food, in which I swore on my mother's grave an unbreakable oath that my first son would be named Sam. Then three days ago, General Landry said that if the baby was a boy and I named him Dakota, I would then be granted a college fund. I played with the letters of your modern language, and, Dacodah Samm was born. Well, not exactly born, but in the sense that I have named him and gained a college fund for him, you understand." Vala replied.

"Right. College fun in exchange for the baby's name. Completely understandable." Daniel sighed heavily. The silence was somewhat overwhelming until Vala rubbed a hand across her baby.

"So, where does this leave us?" She asked in a low voice.

"Somewhere I'd rather not think about for too long. I can't lose you, Vala." Daniel didn't know who he was pleading with, Vala or the gods he only somewhat believed in.

"So, don't. Stay with me until he's born, then you raise him in the memory of me. Let him know how much I loved him even before he was born. Let him know that I kept him safe as long as I could, then you took over. More importantly, let him know that I didn't want to leave him. I didn't want to lose my baby, but it was necessary to save his life." She took a shaky breath and curled her feet under her for warmth.

Daniel melted and pulled her to him, sweeping the blanket around her entirely before placing them both down on the bed. He could feel her breathing even out, lulling him to sleep.

"How would you feel about getting me some sushi?" She asked suddenly, her voice drowsy.

"Kitchen?"

"First left once you leave the hallway. Bottom shelf in the refrigeration unit. Covered in plastic wrap." Vala replied.

Daniel left the safety and warmth of the bed and padded barefoot down the hallway, managing to bang his toes no less than twice on various items scattered around the den area. Entering the kitchen, he made his way to the fridge by feel, finally pulling open the silver monstrosity that took up at least a third of one wall. Peering into the frigid depths, he was just reaching for the plate of sushi when a cold metallic click had him holding his position.

"You'd better have a damn good reason for breaking in. I happen to be a law abiding citizen with a fondness for the Second Amendment which gives me the license to carry a weapon in the safety of my own home." Cameron's no nonsense voice was harsh, and Daniel never realized how frightening it was to hear it aimed at himself.

"Vala called me in. She said the baby was kicking. I asked if I could feel it too, she gave me directions. She's awake in her room, if you want to check my story." He replied as non threateningly as he could. He heard an audible click as the safety on Cam's service weapon was applied.

"Jackson? What are you doing up here in the middle of the night? It's close to four thirty, and you're in my kitchen." Mitchell placed the gun on the counter as he snapped on the light to stare at his friend in disbelief.

Daniel thought over his answers, none seemed right.

"Vala had a craving for sushi?"


	10. Chapter 10

"There, did you feel him?" Vala asked, her voice low but tinged with excitement. Daniel had finally brought her the sushi she so desperately craved, gone back for barbeque sauce and mustard when it wasn't made exactly how she wanted.

Her fingers were gently pressing down on Daniel's above their baby's frenzied movements, her face alight with joy. "Feel him, Darling. He's so alive." She breathed. His fingers hovered almost tenderly over the pummeling the baby was giving her abdomen.

"I was thinking that maybe I'd call Carolyn and see if I could get off bedrest, now that I'm in the fifth month. She says that it might be time. Although, after the first scare, I really haven't wanted to move from the bed." Vala said then. Daniel tried to hide his yawn, but knew Vala had sensed it.

"Tired?" She asked quietly. He nodded, snuggling against her back to get comfortable.

"Got lost on the way up here. Mitchell seems to like doing this kind of thing, the whole remodel. I like where he wants to take it. Maybe we should continue to help out, what do you think?" He asked, his eyes drifting closed of their own accord.

"I'm a fan of that idea. But, as we're both very tired after the goings on of this early morning, let's get some rest before talking to him." Vala teased gently.

"Great plan. Best ever. This sleep idea of yours, it's a keeper, most definitely." He replied, pressing a kiss to the side of her jaw. As she carefully wriggled deeper into his embrace, Daniel felt a strange sense of peace settle over him, a peace that he hadn't been able to find since he and Vala had separated. Tonight, he was going to sleep well.

"Vala, you have to wake up. Vala? Vala!" She opened bleary eyes to see Daniel and Cameron both at her side, Daniel with a cellular phone pressed to his ear. "Yeah, she's finally waking up. We're bringing her in." he responded to a conversation with Carolyn. Shifting her position slightly, Vala became acutely aware of something warm and wet sliding down her legs.

"Don't move, Princess. Everything's gonna' be okay. I'm going to get you into the car now, and don't worry about a thing." Cameron reassured her. Risking a glance down at herself, Vala inhaled sharply at the sight of the bloody puddle she was lying in. "We've got a blanket in the car, let's go Jackson." Cam ordered firmly, ever the soldier, taking control of the situation before it escalated. Daniel grabbed an overnight bag and followed them out the door to begin the twenty minute drive to the mountain complex.

"Get her on the table, everyone out. Vala, remember the drill from last time? Same thing now." Carolyn wasted no time in prepping Vala for the procedure to come while shooing Daniel and Cam out into the waiting room. "Get her on an IV, stat, let's have blood pressure, full band spectrum antibiotics, and for the love of all that's holy, shut off that damn alarm! Vala, can you hear me? Yes? Okay, good. I need to know when was the last time you ate?" Carolyn asked.

"Daniel brought me something around nine-thirty this morning, we lay in bed and talked until eleven, then we went to sleep. That's all I remember until Daniel and Cameron woke me. I've been very good on the bed rest, haven't been moving since you told me it would probably make me lose the baby. I don't care about me, just please, save my baby, save him!" Vala pleaded.

It was hours later when Carolyn came from the infirmary and into the waiting room where the members of SG1, both past and present, were assembled to hear word of their friend's condition.

"Good news is, she didn't miscarry. Bad news is, she needs blood. Lots of it. Even worse, the only blood donor match we have is Teal'c, and he's off world. The worst news yet is that we have no idea where he is. It boils down to this: Vala needs a transfusion from Teal'c ASAP. I'd give her at least another couple of hours before she reaches the point of no return, and about another hour before she gives out. I'd take the baby out if it wasn't so small. I've tested everyone here, every bloodsample we have, it's not a genetic match. Teal'c is the closest we have." She announced. Sam chewed her lip, looked to Jack, her eyes full of unshed tears.

"He's on a mission with Ish'ta. I have no way of contacting him, even if I wanted to." He replied to her unspoken question. With that, Daniel bolted.

Darting through the corridors, he took the stairs to the control room three at a time, spinning Walter out of the way as he tapped out a chevron code. "Daniel?" Jack called, having followed his frenzied dash.

"I can save her, Jack. I know I can. You just have to explain to Landry. I'll go fishing for two weeks with you if you let me go. No complaints. No whining, no sighs, just let me go and I'm yours for two weeks once the baby's born." Daniel bit out.

"If you can save her, by all means, go. Just make sure you take a GDO." Jack tossed the small device to his friend, Daniel caught it and hurried for the ramp. "Godspeed, Daniel." Jack called after him.

And then he was gone.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: The song is not mine, lol. I just thought it was so beautiful and comforting when I heard it, I had to put it in. I don't know who sings it, or who wrote it, it's an English song, called Early One Morning. That's about all I know. Oh, and, just in case people are getting the idea that these are my characters, Hehe, they're not mine. I'm just playing with them for a few days, then I'll give them back. Ok, I'll keep Jack and Sam, Daniel and Vala, and Cam, but the others I'll give back. When they're pried out of my cold dead fingers that is! Lol!**

Vala moaned as she came awake, her overtaxed body protesting the slightest movements she made.

"Easy, not so fast. You're still a little sore from the last few hours. Give your body a chance to recover." Carolyn ordered firmly, entering Vala's line of vision.

"I thought…you didn't take my baby, did you? He was too little, he wasn't ready to - "

Carolyn placed Vala's hand over the swell of her stomach, letting the baby itself kick out against her fingers. "He's fine. Daniel thinks quickly when presented with a problem, when he found out you needed a certain blood type, Teal'c's, he rounded up Ry'ac and brought him here when Teal'c was unable to be reached. Ry'ac was more than happy to come, Anything to help out his Taur'i friends, as he so gallantly phrased it." Carolyn smiled, checking Vala's vitals.

"Ry'ac?" Vala tried to remember where she had heard the strange name before, but at the moment was unable to place it.

"Teal'c's son. They share a genetic link, so, it works out for the best, really. That, and you are now a member of the Free Jaffa Nation, you and your baby. You're carrying the Jaffa bloodline now, and passing it to your baby."

Vala winced as she slowly eased herself up in the bed, the ache in her joints settling down over her entire body.

"The good news is you don't have to worry about losing the baby anymore. The downside to that is you'll be staying in the infirmary here until you give birth, or until you opt for a C-Section. This last scare, you came close to buying the farm. You and the little one." Carolyn continued. "I'm putting you on a special diet, I believe that what you've been eating isn't altogether the healthiest you could have gotten, so from now on your diet is going to have nothing but food rich in whatever vitamin supplements your body can take. Also, you'll be eating caviar every day, that'll give you certain proteins you won't get in regular foods."

"Will he be okay? The blood loss, it won't harm him, will it? He'll be okay, right?" Vala asked quickly.

"Of course. I've got him on a monitor so I can regulate his heart rhythm, I can tell you right now that he's strong and healthy, and kicking like a mule." Carolyn smiled. Vala sighed in relief, hear heart beat slowing to a more normal level now that her baby was alright.

"I've checked the baby's vitals while you were asleep. I have to say, it's the strongest heart rhythm I've ever heard in a baby this young. Based on that fact alone, I'd have to say that the baby is almost definitely a boy. Textbook cases would suggest that, anyway." Carolyn continued. Vala's hands covered the lump that protruded from her, caressing it delicately.

"I see Dr. Jackson was one of the guys bringing you in. Does this mean that he's patched things up with you?"

"Yes, believe it or not. We've reached an agreement of sorts on things last night, and early this morning. I will refrain from talking of dying, and he will refrain from ordering me to kill my baby. Other than that, we're pretty much back to being together." she replied.

"Good to hear. Now, if you don't need anything, I'm going to head out and give you some privacy, make room for a certain archaeologist wearing a hole in the floor in the hallway. Buzz for me if you need me." Carolyn smiled, placing the small controller within easy reach of her friend's hand.

"Thank you." Vala braced herself for Daniel's worry, almost sensing it as he came through the door.

"Hi." He murmured, sitting down beside her and taking her hand in his.

"Hi." She whispered, her voice cracking on the word. Daniel scooped her up and settled on the bed with her in his arms, holding her close for comfort. She always had slept better when encased in the protection of his arms. He only hoped that now it would ease her fears and chase away the terrifying thoughts running through her brain. She clung to him, heart pounding against his chest as her silent tears soaked his shoulder.

Daniel brushed her dark hair back and pressed his lips to her temple as a memory from his childhood surged unbidden to his mind. His mother, holding him and singing a lullaby to calm his fears after an earthquake had rolled through California on one of their few visits to the United States. Through the haze of time, Daniel could almost hear his mother's voice as she sang it over and over until his father arrived to rescue them from that demon possessed land.

It had soothed him, perhaps it would also work its magic on the woman he treasured more than life itself.

_"Early one morning, just as the sun was rising,_

_I heard a maid sing in the valley below:_

_"Oh don't deceive me, Oh never leave me,_

_How could you use a poor maiden so?_

_"Remember the vows that you made to me truly;_

_Remember how tenderly you nestled close to is the garland,_

_fresh are the roses I've culled from the garden to bind over thee._

_"Here I now wander alone as I wonder_

_Why did you leave me to sigh and complain?_

_I ask of the roses, why should I be forsaken?_

_Why must I here in sorrow remain?_

_"Through yonder grove, by the spring that is running,_

_There you and I have so merrily played,_

_Kissing and courting and gently sporting,_

_Oh, my innocent heart you've betrayed!_

_"How could you slight so a pretty girl who loves you,_

_A pretty girl who loves you so dearly and warm?_

_Though love's folly is surely but a fancy,_

_Still it should prove to me sweeter than your scorn._

_"Soon you will meet with another pretty maiden,_

_Some pretty maiden, you'll court her for a while;_

_Thus ever ranging, turning and changing,_

_Always seeking for a girl that is new._

_"Thus sang the maiden, her sorrows bewailing;_

_Thus sang the poor maid in the valley below:_

_"Oh don't deceive me, Oh never leave me,_

_How could you use a poor maiden so?"_

During the song, Daniel watched Vala's eyes drift closed almost of their own accord until she was relaxed and asleep in his arms.


	12. Chapter 12

"Jack? You wanted to see me?" Daniel dropped into the seat across from his friend and let out a breath.

"Vala's in the infirmary for a good while, isn't she?" Jack asked finally.

"Carolyn says until the baby's born. She wants Vala to stay close in case of, well, in case of emergency. What's up?"

Jack took a deep breath, steadying himself.

Daniel realized this boded no good towards him, and with sudden clarity he understood why Jack was asking about Vala.

"Jacek?" he asked quietly.

Jack nodded once.

"He says it's military intel, or something. Says he knows where we can get a ZPM. I just hung up with the President, who has authorized me to make the necessary arrangements to bring the temporary ally to the base." He explained.

"And by 'authorized', I suppose you mean…?"

Daniel could feel the rage simmering under his skin as Jack aimlessly pushed a stack of papers into some semblance of order before setting them back on the desk.

"I was ordered to allow him back on Earth." He finally admitted.

"Great. Just…terrific, really. While we're at it, why not just really screw us all and detonate a nuke in downtown Colorado? You know it's going to hurt her to know that we're trusting him again." Daniel groused.

"Calm down Daniel. I've arranged for Vala to be guarded while he's here. It was something I negotiated for quite strenuously. In the end, the IOA agreed after I had explained a few things to them. By the way, the IOA wants to talk to you regarding a certain young woman and her pregnancy. Something about dressing you down. So, if they get a hold of you, we talked about this. And not in a good way. Stuff about responsibility. You're a linguist, make me sound good." Jack smirked.

"So, who's guarding Vala?"

"Three female SF's were pulled from off world teams, those will be inside the room and bathroom with her at all times. Two more will be outside the door in the hallway. The IOA wasn't happy, but I pulled a few strings, and they were suddenly more than happy to accommodate my wishes."

"Should I be worried? You didn't promise to name the kid after them, did you?" Daniel asked suspiciously. Jack rolled his eyes and shuffled the stack of papers once more.

"Jack?"

"I threatened to quit. I told them I'd take you and Carter and Teal'c, and of course Vala and the baby, and go to Russia, where my general knowitallness will be put to good use, and the info stored in every inch of my wife's brain will guarantee us a nice little chunk of real estate, possibly with a pond for fishing even. They go real quiet, asked what it would take to keep me from going to that extreme. I told them that I wanted access for Carter to go any speed on any road, they agreed. Then I said I wanted a presidential pardon for any and all stunts we may or may not pull in the future. They agreed Oh, and, you know that pesky thing called taxes that you always forget to do until the night before the due date? Well, I told them we didn't want to have to pay up anymore. They balked at that." Jack paused, a grin lighting his features.

"And?" Daniel pressed.

"I told them I was calling Russia and hung up. They called back and I hung up again. They called again and, well, agreed after that. The baby has a sizable chunk of money gathering interest in a bank account under your name, they're calling it a college fund for the squirt. My kids too. And, from the looks of it, Ella will be going to the most expensive party school we can find her."

"And what are you calling it?"

"Bribe. Plain and simple. They want me to stay, they gotta' pay the piper." The two were silent for several seconds before Daniel looked up to meet his friend's eyes. "Thanks for sticking up for me. For us." he finally murmured.

"'Bout time fate stopped kicking you around." Jack replied.

"No, I mean, I feel -"

Jack stopped him with a wave of the hand.

"You got feelings, you take it up with Carter. Or Vala. Not me. You want to say 'thank you Jack, you're the best', then punch me in the arm, that's a guy thing, we can do that. No feelings. I don't even talk feelings with Carter unless there's alcohol involved. And even then she's gotta' be wearing something…revealing." Jack sighed, his gaze turning reminiscent of the past feelings talks with his wife.

"Okaaay, and on that note, I'm going to go find me and Vala something to do while Jacek is here. By the way, how long is he going to be on base?" Daniel asked.

"At least three weeks while we find him a place. Carter suggested a cell down on level thirty-seven. I'm inclined to agree until he leaves, but Landry says we gotta' be diplomatic or some such. Speaking of which, he'll be wearing an ankle monitor until the day he dies. He's got a five mile radius, he goes to the store, the library, and possibly a strip club. Any further than that, he's hauled in and placed in the holding cells until the day he dies. No hope of parole, no appeal. He takes the monitor off, he goes to prison under the exact same penalties."

"Great. Just, really great. Tell the IOA that all they've done for the SGC is appreciated. Oh, and, Jack?" Daniel had stood and was pacing the room as his older friend spoke. With a sudden lunge, he grabbed O'Neill into a crushing hug, pinning the man's arms to his sides.

"Thank you, Jack! You're the best!" He grinned, then added a loud smooch against Jack's cheek before bolting for the elevator, Jack's **_"Daniel!_**" echoing in his ears, accompanied by the sound of the rollaway chair bouncing off the wall behind the desk. Swiping his access card in the reader, Daniel surged into the elevator and furiously jabbed the button to close the doors.

"Daniel!" Jack shouted, halfway to the elevators. The doors finally closed in the barest nick of time, leaving an enraged Jack O'Neill behind.

Payback would be hell, but it would be worth it.


	13. Chapter 13

Vala stretched as she came awake, feeling the warmth of Daniel's hand on hers. Opening her eyes with a smile, she watched him play with her fingers for several moments before his eyes lifted to hers.

"Hi." She breathed softly.

"Hi." He replied. She watched him continue to run a finger along the knuckle of her hand, her concern growing.

"Darling, is everything alright?" she asked finally.

Daniel took his time responding, she finally pulled her hand away to force him to focus.

"You know I'd do anything for you, right?" He asked then. Vala felt a chill of fear run down her spine. She was in the infirmary, alone, with Daniel, who had only a few short months before wanted her to destroy their baby.

"Where is this going?" She asked, steel edging its way into her voice as she curled around her stomach protectively.

"I'd do anything to protect you." He continued. His other hand came up to rest against the baby kicking under skin, eyes darkening with firm resolve.

"Darling, you're beginning to frighten me. What's going on?" She asked softly.

"Jacek contacted us this morning, wanted to negotiate coming back to Earth. He claims to have important information about a ZPM, and you know those things are like…we really need them. For Atlantis. So, we'll be allowing him back. And he's staying. He's going to be living on Earth again. Jack found him a nice little place in Texas, where he will live out the rest of his life in relative peace. This time we're monitoring him with a tracking device. He steps outside the boundaries of his preprogrammed radius, he's thrown into the holding cells here, never to see the light of day again." Daniel explained.

Vala withdrew, pulling her hands out of his grasp.

"Remember what happened last time? He'll do it again." She warned sagely. "You didn't listen last time, and he escaped. I reserve the right to say I told you so when he eludes his guards again and starts making trouble, even hiring the evil Jaffa to do his bidding again." She continued.

"We aren't going to let him near you or the baby, unless you want him here."

"Really?" Vala's face was hopeful.

"Really. As far as he's concerned, you no longer exist. In fact, I'm thinking up something to tell him about your absence. What would make you happier, running away with a gorgeous male model to the south of France to be his exotic beauty and living in the lap of luxury for the rest of your life, or, you steal something valuable and disappear with it off world, while we search desperately for the one item that keeps our planet turning?" He asked with a smile.

"Definitely love the idea of the male model. Although, almost no one holds a candle to you, darling. Except of course, that one man we both know I would leave you for. George Clooney. Or even that wonderful younger man, Orlando Bloom." She teased.

"I'm hurt. George Clooney over me?" Daniel countered, squeezing her hand.

She squeezed back, her eyes shining with love.

"I'm headed to the commissary, you want me to bring you anything special?" He asked then.

"Grilled macaroni and cheese sandwich, heavy on the barbecue sauce, heavy on the cheese, heavy on the macaroni, if they have it. If they don't, don't worry about it. Oh, and a side of mashed potatoes with mayonnaise. Fish sticks and as many croissants as you can hold, make sure the fish has strawberry jelly on it, veal burgers, and turkey bacon. And any kind of jelly filled donut, except absolutely no strawberry."

Daniel raised an eyebrow, she gave him a mock glare in return.

"Your son wants the donut." She explained.

"Right." He turned to leave again.

"If it's not too much trouble, one of those things Cameron calls pears. And some pineapple. Oh, and cranberry sauce. That sounds good." she tilted her head, staring off to the side.

"Waffles, maple syrup, and something nutty. Not peanut butter though. Pistachio butter, almond butter, hazelnut spread, anything not made from peanuts."

By now, Daniel had a pen and paper in hand, writing things down quickly.

"Anything else?" He asked.

"That should do it." She sighed after giving it some careful thought.

"Back in a flash." Daniel smiled, heading off to do her bidding.


	14. Chapter 14

Vala sighed, adjusting her position as best she could on her infirmary bed. Well into her seventh month now, she was just starting to understand why Earth women were sometimes referred to as beached whales during the final stages of pregnancy.

Jacek hadn't been anywhere near her since he arrived, Daniel keeping her caught up on the scuttlebutt of the day to day life. Ever since the night he'd come to her, bruised and weary but agreeing to let her hope for the best, he'd been at her side. Except for the times he showered and attended meetings or brought her a dish of something he knew Carolyn would frown on if she saw it. The man was positively…upbeat about her condition, all things considered.

Not that she minded, but at least a few grumblings one way or the other would let her know what he was contemplating.

_Men_.

"I wish you'd just pick a side and commit, rather than roll around in there, making me seasick." She complained good naturedly to her protruding belly. The baby kicked again and Vala sighed, giving a little in the battle for supremacy. The baby wanted to lie on his right, which meant Vala was forced onto that side as well.

"Alright, where were we?" She continued, picking up her magazine and opening it to the page she had marked before the baby had forced her to abandon it.

"Ohh, yes. Something for military wives, I see. Now, should Mommy go for the blue set? Or the pink? Personally, I'm swayed towards the blue, in honor of you, my precious little Dacodah, but I myself am partial to the pink. So, we'll compromise. I'll get both." She teased. At the sound of her voice, Dacodah stilled as if listening to her.

"And, look at this my darling, they have one in green. Speaking of which, I'd really like to know which color you'll be partial to. When you arrive, that is. See, Mommy's in a lot of trouble right now. She needs your help, alright? So, one kick for yes, two for no. Should Mommy get the green? Before you come to a decision, I need to fill you in on a few important details. One, I look absolutely stunning in green. Two, I want Daniel to see it. Three, did I mention that I look absolutely stunning in green?" She placed a hand over her baby and waited.

"Remember, one kick for yes, two for no. Should Mommy get the green?" She repeated. There was a pause before the baby kicked. Once.

"See, I knew you were smart. You are such a smart baby. You always help your mommy, always, and Mommy thinks that you should have some sort of compensation for this. Not all the time, mind you. Just when you agree with me. Which is almost all the time. So, every time you help me out, you get a dollar put into your baby bank. Agreed?" she smiled as her baby kicked out, twice.

"Fine. Five dollars. Agreed now?" She asked. When no answer was forthcoming, she giggled.

"Okay, ten. But your daddy pays."

Dacodah kicked once. Vala laughed at the action, rubbing her hand across the swell of her stomach before giving it a pat.

"You are so smart." She teased.

"Now, we both need our rest, so you need to go to sleep. Mommy's taking a nap soon, and somehow we need to coordinate this. Let's just relax and take a little nap. No more kicking Mommy, alright?" She asked, picking up the magazine again.

He knew she was close by.

She would never abandon the SGC. Not even to live in the closest thing to heaven she could find. For one thing, she'd have to let Daniel go. From the reports he'd heard about them, she wasn't going to leave him, ever. Still followed the man around like a puppy.

Well, now to see how Jackson_ truly_ felt about her.

Daniel relieved Teal'c at the infirmary doors, assuring the man he would watch over Vala until Teal'c had returned.

Vala was sleeping now, her body canted to the right as one arm was wrapped around her womb comfortingly. Daniel smiled at the sight, he knew she would love being a mother. He had hated seeing the sadness in her eyes after Adria, the emptiness that she tried to hide with laughter and camaraderie, but he had seen through it. She had once told him that he was the only person she couldn't lie to, con, or trick into believing her. He saw her as she was, loved her for it.

With that in mind he slowly stood, keeping the video camera he held aimed at her beautiful face.

"See, this is your mommy. She loves you a lot. She fought against everything to keep you, including me. She looks really sick right now, but that's only because you're still inside her. I get to see you soon, get to hold you. I can't wait. I know I'm kind of a new voice right now, but you'll get used to me. I wanted you to see her, before everything goes sideways." He stopped the recording to regain his composure before continuing.

"She's not going to be around after you're born, Doctor Lam says the stress of fighting the Orici's decree that your mom not carry another child but the Orici herself has weakened her, weakened her immune system. She's been through a lot, your mom. I want you to see her, see her fight the odds to give you life. You deserve to know her, you deserve to know the truth. The Ori screwed us all, you, me, your mom. You most of all. You don't get to see her after you leave the infirmary. Carolyn says that your mom is too weak to survive it. They've decided to perform what's called a caesarean section, in which they cut your mom open to get you out. I think they're doing that to let her have time to see you." Daniel took a deep breath and let it out slowly, keeping the camera trained on Vala.

"She loves you. From the minute she found out she was pregnant, she loved you. I, on the other hand, was boneheaded and stupid from the get go. Did I mention how much I love your mom? No? Okay, well, I do. I love her more than I ever knew, more than she knows, I think. She's got this way of looking at the world and seeing it for what it is and never losing her cool to it. And, she can cook a mean enchilada. She learned it from Cameron, I think. Or possibly from off the internet, I don't know for sure. But it's really good. She's the only one aside from Sam who's ever bested the general at poker. She can outrun Cam in a race, she sometimes talks faster than I do, she loves stealing my lucky boxers, and sometimes even eats the cookie dough before it's cooked. But I love her, and the only thing about our relationship I'd change is when I left her. If I could go back, I'd do just that one part of our lives so much differently. In conclusion, your mommy is a wonderful woman, one I'm proud to have had in my life for as long as she was. Actually, she's the one relationship I've had that's lasted the five year mark." He chuckled at another thought that had occurred to him in that few seconds.

"And, not to mention, she can kick my butt and look hot while doing it. When you're old enough, I'll tell you about the Prometheus incident, when I first met her. You have to promise me you will keep an open mind, however, because everything turned out okay. We had you, didn't we?" He asked. He turned the camera off and set it back on the table, reaching for his cell phone. Vala had mentioned she wanted Chinese food and pizza before she went to sleep. Better to have it for her when she woke up.

Jacek waited until he was sure Daniel had left the infirmary before pulling up his medical mask and striding purposefully past the guards.

They didn't even try to stop him.

His plan had worked!

Evidently, anything could happen if someone was medical scrubs. Pulling the medical bed out of the room, he rambled out an excuse to the guard that raised a curious eyebrow at him. The guard reached for his radio to confirm, and Jacek had them all zatted before his cover could be blown. No one would ask questions. At least, not until he got to the gate. But, by then it would be too late. After his last foray here to Earth, he had found a way to gain remote access to the Stargate. A little piece of technology that he had appropriated from somewhere in the galaxy, never knowing he would need it against the people his daughter called her friends. There would be no more deals with Earth, he was sure of it. After all, he'd screwed them twice now!

In order to get through the gate he had to make sure Vala was compliant. He didn't need her making a scene. Easing her mouth open, he poured a vial of green liquid down her throat. Another off world contribution to his efforts at getting what he wanted from the Earth people. Waking Vala, he watched as the drug took effect on her and she became a willing participant, hanging on his every word.

Okay, not so much hanging on his every word, more like she was unable to go against his orders. And not so much willing as the drug rendered her incapable of thought, speech, or communication of any sort until it wore off in little over a day. By then she would be discarded on some backwater planet while he absconded with the technology he so desperately needed.

The SGC would give him anything he wanted in exchange for the woman and her child. Daniel Jackson would see to that.


	15. Chapter 15

Her baby was in danger.

Jacek had given her something to temporarily wipe out her higher brain functions, keeping her sluggish and obedient to all his commands.

But her baby was in danger. Her baby needed her. At the moment, she was sitting at a table unable to move even one finger in a greasy bar where shady deals were being cemented by even shadier individuals. And never had she hated Jacek more than she did now.

If she lost her baby, she would hunt him down and kill him.

Slowly.

Torturously.

It would be the most fun she'd had in months.

A tear fell from her eye as she struggled futilely against the effects of the drug coursing through her body.

She knew she was in trouble. Her baby needed her to move, get up and leave. Walk to the Gate, call for help. But the drug held her fast, keeping her in place for Jacek.

She hated him.

She wasn't supposed to be standing, much less walking around.

Their walk from the Gate to the bar was at least three miles.

Concentrating, Vala flicked her eyes to her hand to see if it would move when she put her mental strength to it.

Nothing.

She tried again, fighting the urge to give in to tears. She needed every bit of her strength to protect herself and her baby. Had to protect her unborn son. Daniel's baby.

She had promised the baby she wouldn't allow anything to harm it, and by all that was, her son would grow up to survive anything.

The tiniest flicker of her pinky finger was enough to give her hope, she kept working to move other parts of her body while Jacek remained on the other side of the room, cementing a deal with something that had two heads. Daniel would be fascinated if he was here.

Half a galaxy away from Vala and their baby, Daniel was fighting the urge to kill the men guarding Vala's room. Sure, they had been zatted, but they had allowed someone without clearance into her room in the first place. He would have checked the face against the medical ID badge, made sure the orders came from Lam, and searched the medic, but that was just him.

He pushed away from the group finally, unable to bear the pain of losing them. Heading for the gym, he found a weight bag and began taking out his frustration, pummeling it to free his rage and hurt.

Jacek probably didn't even have the information they needed. Just another lie told by the man, and Daniel had personally vouched for him. Vala would never forgive him now. She'd probably accuse him of hiring Jacek to get rid of the baby. Daniel gave the bag an extra hard whack before gripping his head in frustration.

"Daniel." Jack guided him into a sitting position against the wall, Daniel finally pulled his hands away from his face.

"I'm losing her Jack. All over again, I'm losing everyone I care about. I'm cursed. I must be. Everyone I care about dies. Watch out, you and yours are next. The Daniel Jackson curse is headed your way." He spat angrily. Without a word, the older man slid down to sit on the floor next to him, putting an arm around his shoulders. "I just have to wonder, how much longer before it turns on me? I kill everyone I come into contact with! I killed Sha're, I killed Skaara, Kasuf, everyone on Abydos. I've gotten so many…so many people killed Jack! How can I go on without her? How can I go back to the man I was without her? I can't lose her, Jack. Not her. I can lose you, Teal'c, Sam, Mitchell, but not her. I put the baby inside her, I'm the one killing her. Yeah, I might get a baby, but then what? I'll never be able to touch her again. Never listen to her breath. Never hear another convoluted theory about what sleeplessness does to a man's sex organ…."

"What?" Jack couldn't help the laugh that came out, caught it before he could ruin things with Daniel.

"Yeah, Vala claimed there's some study out there that makes a guy impotent if he gets less than two hours of sleep. This was after she had compared the tube of cookie dough to a guys'…

"Get the picture there Daniel, no need to elaborate."

"And the whole time she's going on about this theory she's eating the dough and telling me chocolate is an aphrodisiac. I can't lose another person I love Jack, I can't. I've seen that side of me, after Sha're. I won't go there again." He thudded a fist against the mat in frustration. Jack patted his shoulder comfortingly and sighed. "Looks like you won't have to. It's why I came to find you." He began. Daniel's head snapped up in surprise. "Remember when SG-15 went missing two years ago, turns out they fell into a ravine off world and took us two weeks to find them?" The older man asked.

"Yeah." Daniel replied suspiciously.

"Good." Jack let the silence build, along with Jackson's curiosity.

"Now that we've established my memory goes back two years, why'd you bring it up?" He finally snapped.

"Evidently, not that good of a memory. We were all implanted with a tracking device just in case something like that happens again. Makes us easier to find in case of offworld emergency. Remember?" Jack replied. Daniel was off the floor and running for the exit before Jack had time to stand.

"Oh, for the energy of the young." Jack sighed, easing to his feet.


	16. Chapter 16

Jacek pulled Vala from the bar, walking them quickly away from it before cutting a fast right behind a building. Vala stumbled, her brain still screaming for her to run, flee, get away, before Jacek brought them to a small shack and pushed her inside.

"You don't have to be upset at me." He began when she narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm going to release you as soon as I get the technology I need! I'm not going to hurt you, I could never do that to you. You're my daughter." He smiled, reaching to pat her arm.

She endured the touch, she had to. Her body still wouldn't respond to any commands but the ones he gave.

"Don't worry, you're going to be fine." He continued, guiding her to a cot and setting her down onto it. "I'll be back, don't worry. I might be a little late, so stay put." He smiled, then was gone.

Vala felt rage build up inside her at the casualness he was displaying toward her in her current state.

Her stomach tightened as she struggled to stand, run from the small shack, anything to potect her baby.

Mitchell lay in the grass on the outskirts of the town, watching Vala allow her father to lead her around, her motions setting off warning bells in his mind. Though she was compliant, there was something amiss about the entire thing.

"I got eyes on the princess. Small shack, near the edge of town. Both of the targets are inside. Awaiting orders to enter the residence." He radioed to the others of the rescue team.

"Kill Jacek on sight." Daniel responded instantly.

"General O'Neill?" Mitchell asked.

"The orders haven't changed. If you can grab Vala without a scene, do so." Jack replied.

"Understood, Sir. Mitchell out."

The orders were simple. Wait for the cover of darkness and take Vala back. Within four hours they would be back at the SGC, piece of cake.

Somehow, Mitchell doubted things would be that easy.

After all this was SG-1. Nothing was that easy when it came to his team.

As he watched the shack, Jacek appeared and walked off into the town once more, as if unconcerned with leaving Vala alone.

"Sir, he's gone. Vala's unguarded, from what I can see." He told O'Neill.

"Move in, do some recon. Report back without making your position to anyone." Jack replied.

"Understood sir." Mitchell moved through the grass silently, careful not to be seen until he reached the small shack.

In the distance he could hear the laughter of the children in town as they played in the main square, birds calling overhead, and the domestic dispute of the couple walking by in the road. But nothing from the building where Vala was being kept. He had a good ten feet to cover before getting to the front door. Changing course, he eased around the back and took a deep breath before slowly testing the handle of the back door. It gave without a sound, he entered swiftly before he was seen and shut the door. The place was small, one room that had been divided by sheets of material that formed four much smaller rooms. Pulling the nearest one aside, he found her.

Vala lay on the small bed, blood pooling under her to drip onto the floor in an ever widening puddle. Mitchell cursed, hurrying forward to crouch next to her. "Vala?" He placed a hand on her cheek, her cool skin making him curse again. She'd lost a lot of blood. More than was surely healthy for her. "General, I'm here. Vala's not so good. Lost a lot of blood. Orders?" He knew without a doubt what Jack would want, but he was a soldier first and foremost. He never made a move without his commanding officer giving the go ahead.

"Get her to the gate." Jack ordered. Mitchell lifted her off the bed and kicked open the back door, uncaring if anyone saw. He had his orders.

More than that, he was terrified if he stopped to check on her he wouldn't like what he found. Halfway to the gate, Jack radioed him.

"Sam says the gate's not working on her end, a blown…something or other. Take too long for us to wait around for them to fix it. She told us to go to the Alpha site."

Mitchell sighed. If ever Murphy's law would take a day off, now would be a good time.

"Understood." He replied. Vala inhaled sharply in his arms, a grunt coming from somewhere deep inside her. "No worries, Princess, you and baby are gonna' be just fine. Trust me." He waited for Daniel to punch out the address for the Alpha site, felt relief wash over him when the vortex swirled into place. Nearly sprinting up the steps to the gate, he plunged through to the other side and yelled for the medical team. Placing Vala on the gurney, he swiped a hand over his dark hair.

"How is she?" He asked.

"Pregnant, and losing blood." The head doctor snapped back.

"If she needs a transfusion, Teal'c is a donor match, he's on his way through, just a few seconds behind me." Daniel added.

"What did he give her?" The doctor continued.

"We think it was a sort of brain inhibitor. Not sure of it, other than that." Mitchell held out a vial with several drops of green liquid congealing inside. "I found this inside, she kept looking at it. Figured it might be of some use."

"Lets' get this analyzed!" the doctor ordered, giving it to a nurse.


	17. Chapter 17

Daniel clenched a fist, pacing the triage area and pausing once to punch a wall. He couldn't lose her. If he did, there would be no coming back. As much as he loved his job, he couldn't walk the cold grey halls and never hear her boots flying up behind him, or never feel the touch of her hand in his.

He couldn't lose her. He'd already been through too much. One more loss, he'd break.

"What the hell is taking so long?" he snapped as a nurse scurried out of Vala's room.

"Doctor Jackson, we're doing everything we can. Please, be patient. We're almost done, and you can go in and see her." The woman replied sternly before hurrying off. Daniel let out a sigh of frustration and raked a hand through his hair.

"You're wearing yourself a bald spot, Jackson." Mitchell pointed out, reaching up to yank his friend down beside him in one of the waiting room chairs. Daniel whacked him in the chest, Mitchell whacked him back.

"Sure you wanna' fight me again, Jackson? I remember you ended up on the floor a lot." Mitchell taunted.

Daniel went after him, only to be intercepted by Teal'c.

"I believe, for my own peace of mind, that separating you both would be most beneficial." The much larger man stated firmly, guiding Daniel into another seat three down from Mitchell.

"I can still hit him from here if I lean over and stretch." Mitchell muttered when Teal'c turned away. A raised eyebrow from Teal'c calmed him instantly.

"But I won't." He hastened add, more out of a sense of self preservation than anything.

"Indeed." A verbal warning was all Teal'c needed to end the conversation.

"Sir?" An SF stood just outside the waiting room door, eyes on Mitchell. He rose and followed the man further down the hallway.

"Everything okay?" He asked quietly.

"No, sir. There have been reports that Jacek followed you back here, through the gate. I was told to tell you this out of earshot of Doctor Jackson. Sir, he pulled several crystals from the DHD. There's no way to dial out, even if we wanted to." The SF explained.

Mitchell sighed heavily. "Is there good news?"

"We have men tracking him down as we speak. Also, Dr. Lam is on her way. Colonel Caldwell brought the Daedulus back, heard what happened and General Landry asked for a personal favor. She'll be transporting down in just under a minute."

"Good work. Everything should be back to normal again, soon. I hope. Thanks for telling me." Mitchell smiled tightly.

Daniel looked up as Cam entered the medical area once more.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

"Will be soon enough." Cam replied. Before he finished speaking, Carolyn was transported in, looking slightly worried as she hefted her gear. "Show me to her." she ordered.

Vala felt relief wash over her at the sight of the woman she was trusting with her child's life. Unable to move anything beyond her eyes, she cursed inwardly as she felt tears well up in her eyes.

"Hey, no worries. Everything's going to be fine. Someone go get blood from Teal'c, just in case we need an emergency transfusion. I don't want us scrambling for anything in the next little while." Carolyn took over instantly, much to Vala's relief. Gently squeezing her shoulder, Cam smiled at Vala. "I'm going to bring Dr. Jackson back to see you for a bit. The antidote we've created is starting to work, and I think it's time he sees you." She began. Vala blinked, unable to do much else. Truthfully, the antidote they had been pumping into her was starting to take the stillness off her, but what she couldn't tell Carolyn was killing her.

Then Daniel was there, gripping her fingers in his and squeezing gently.

"Hey, sorry, they wouldn't let me in before this. Something about me and Cam starting a…you know what? Just forget about that. I'm here now." He breathed.

Pulling back, he got his first real look at her in several hours.

"What's wrong?" He asked instantly. Her eyes flicked away, toward the far wall, then back to him.

"Blink twice for yes, once for no. Is there something over there you want me to get?" He asked. Vala blinked once, immediately. Flicked her eyes back to the wall, then fastened them on his face. "Something by the floor?" Daniel asked. She blinked once, again. "By your feet?" He tried again. Another single blink.

He placed a hand over the baby. "Here?" He asked softly. She blinked twice, tears finally coming as he solved her problem.

"Carolyn!" Daniel all but bellowed.

She came over instantly, worried.

"Vala says there's something wrong with the baby."

"She can't talk yet. How can you tell?" Carolyn asked, moving quickly to get a fetal monitor set up on her friend. "Vala, blink twice for yes, once for no. Is there something wrong with the baby?" Daniel asked.

Vala blinked twice. "See? Something's up with the baby." He almost added an 'I told you so', but one look at Carolyn dissuaded him from such juvenile behavior.

Watching the monitor, Carolyn let out a gentle sigh of relief. "By all accounts, the baby looks okay. Heart rate, brain functions, everything normal." She replied.

"Vala says no. Something's up with Dacodah." Daniel argued.

"Are you in pain?" Carolyn directed her question at Vala, watching as the woman blinked yes.

"From the baby?"

_Yes_.

"Have you ever had this kind of pain before in this pregnancy?"

_No_.

"Is this something you experienced while giving birth once before?"

_Yes_.

"Great. As if this whole situation couldn't suck anymore than it already does." Carolyn paused once, looking around the medical area.

"Right then. I've handled worse, this can be done." She continued, speaking more to herself than to anyone. Then, she was spouting orders like a water fountain.

"I need three operating lamps, here, here, and here. We'll need blankets, heating pads, as many as we can find. One of the scales from down in supply, get it up here. Yes, the industrial one. No, I don't care that it's attached to the ceiling, unattach it and get it set up in here. You, you're on boiling water. Find as many pairs of scissors as you can and bring them to me, along with the pot of boiling water. I need forceps, clamps, and surgical sutures. Measuring tape. Ink, and at least a ream of paper. Some pens might be good too, I'll figure it out as I get closer to them." She ordered. Releasing the brake on the gurney, she pulled the medical bed over to the farthest corner of the medical room, drawing the curtain for privacy.

"Guess what? You're in labor. Because of what Jacek gave you, I'm not exactly thrilled with cutting you open right now, not sure what was in the drug until we're done analyzing it. Can you handle that?" She asked.

"Anything you can do to save Vala and the baby." Daniel replied.

"That's the thing. I can't save both. Only if I opt for the caesarean can both be saved. A natural birth might kill the baby, will most likely kill Vala. You have to choose." Carolyn ordered firmly.

"Dacodah." Daniel hated having to choose. But one look at Vala told him he had made the right decision.

"Save Dacodah. Worry about Vala later." He continued.

And somewhere, deep in his soul, he felt a part of him die.


	18. Chapter 18

Vala resisted the urge to let loose with a growl of barely suppressed frustration at the complete and utter lack of control she currently had over her body. The good news was that with the fog of whatever drug Jacek had given her now leaving her system, she was thinking more clearly, albeit with more than her fair share of pain.

The soles of her feet were the worst. Tiny bolts of lightning hot agony crackled unendingly just under the surface of her skin, arcing up and around her ankles and into her legs where the pain gradually dulled into a bone deep ache that left her wanting to scream. Her stomach had long since stopped turning over, something for which she was currently thanking each and every god and goddess Daniel had ever mentioned, be they real or not, she wanted them to know she was supremely grateful.

She could move her fingers in little twitches now, not that she wanted to. The slightest movements of her hands caused fire to burst along her knuckles and shoot up into her arms, across her shoulders and down her back until they collided most painfully with the ache in her legs.

After the drug began wearing off, Vala had started shivering with cold, even as sweat poured off her skin in tiny rivulets. Carolyn had been forced to set up several IVs to combat dehydration.

"How's he doing?" Daniel asked, gently rubbing a hand over Vala's belly where their child lay.

"So far, everything looks good. If this keeps up, I'm going to be delivering in about two hours, provided nothing happens to speed things along." Carolyn replied, coming to stand on Vala's other side and taking her pulse.

When her demeanor changed slightly, Daniel jumped on it.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing, believe it or not. In fact, since the pregnancy started I've been noticing a few unusual things about both Vala and the baby. Good things, before you jump to conclusions. Vala, Doctor Jackson, I would like to do some more bloodwork on Vala, just to see if my suspicions are correct. Thankfully, we're more than well equipped to do it here, otherwise I'd have to just draw blood and wait." Carolyn was working swiftly as she spoke, drawing blood from her friend.

"I'll be back." She smiled, then was gone.

Vala quirked her eyes up to Daniel who shrugged.

"Not a clue." He replied.

"No offense, but, I wish you guys wouldn't do that." Mitchell called from his seat by the door.

"What's that?" Daniel called back.

"The whole, you know, answer-her-questions-before-she-asks thing. Kinda' creeps me out." Mitchell stood and walked over to them, taking Vala's other hand and squeezing it gently. She tried to smile, give him reassurances that she would be alright, but all the motion she could force out was a slight quivering around her mouth.

"Hey, you wouldn't mind if I got a little revenge on her, would you? I mean, she did handcuff me to a bed a few years ago. I think a little payback is deserved." Mitchell grinned then. "Not happening until she can fight back on her own. Last time I tried to fight you, I ended up kissing the floor. Vala can take care of herself, but you'll wait until she can kick your ass before you try revenge." Daniel replied.

"Great. I finally get a chance at revenge, and you don't let me grab it. I'll remember this, Jackson." He smiled, the worry never leaving his eyes.

When Carolyn bustled back into the room a few minutes later, Daniel jumped to his feet and met her eyes.

"Before you ask, I need another bloodsample." She stated quickly.

"What's with the samples? This is the second one you've taken, just give me a hint here, give me something to take my mind off this." Daniel pleaded. Lam took a deep breath as she began prepping Vala for a sample.

"I've noticed certain abnormalities in Vala's bloodwork over the past few months. Certain proteins she doesn't carry in her bloodstream started showing up almost as soon as I found out about the pregnancy. The hormones her body produces have been reacting with the proteins, reacting in a positive manner. I can't explain it, all I can tell you is that Vala has been alive this long because of the reaction. The past few weeks, the proteins have almost doubled in intensity. Whatever they are, they weren't there before the pregnancy. The new chemical is building up in her system, and, I have a strong belief that this is giving her the strength to carry the baby this long. With this new sample, I can probably give you more answers." Carolyn explained. Daniel sucked his breath in, almost afraid to hope for a miracle. It had been a few weeks since fate kicked him in the teeth, he was about due for another. He just prayed he wouldn't lose both Vala and the baby in the ensuing aftermath.


	19. Chapter 19

Jacek got to his feet slowly, every muscle in his body quivering. The Marine he jumped had put up a good fight, until Jacek's well placed jab to his throat had injected the drug cocktail directly into his bloodstream and rendered him unable to move.

Scooping up the guard's radio, Jacek pressed a button on the side.

"I know you can hear me, Doctor Jackson. I want her back. Give me Vala, and I'll give the crystals to you so you can go home again. You don't want to watch her die, do you?" He asked.

"_Jacek, it's Daniel. Yes, I can hear you. I can't give you Vala. If I did, you'd never give the crystals back. You'd say it was my fault she died, or something."_

Daniel's disembodied voice replied over the radio.

The ugly truth hit like a sack of bricks, and Jacek felt the air whoosh out of him.

"What do you mean?" He asked roughly.

_"I mean, both Vala and the baby died. Vala died giving birth to your grandchild. The baby died a few minutes ago." Daniel replied._

Horror crashed into him, then, leaving Jacek gasping for breath.

Vala was dead.

The very light of his life, gone.

Unable to process the information, he released the radio, watched it bounce off the ground and into the underbrush where it disappeared from sight.

With trembling hands, he gently fingered the crystals hidden in his clothing. Without Vala as leverage, he'd never get the technology he so desperately needed. Better he just get as far away from his pursuers and bad contacts as possible. With that thought, he began the trek back to the gate.

"Colonel?" A lieutenant beckoned from the hallway and Mitchell sighed heavily.

"Be back in a flash you two." He murmured to his friends before stepping out into the hall and closing the curtain behind him.

"Is this about Jacek?" He asked. When the lieutenant nodded, Mitchell pulled him farther away, outside the medical area.

"What's the bad news?" He asked quietly. "And for God's sake, keep your voice down. The two of them have ears like bats."

"Sir, I was told to report that Jacek has gone back through the gate. He replaced the crystals and just left. Seemed kinda' upset. I'm waiting for a report on whether or not he's made his way back." The lieutenant began. "Not to mention, our resident bomb expert is checking the DHD itself and the crystals quite thoroughly for booby traps, explosives, the works."

"He left? Just like that? Are you sure?" Mitchell asked, raking a hand through his dark hair.

"Yes sir, we've had eyes on the gate since we were trapped here. He replaced the crystals and tapped out an address. He's gone." The lieutenant continued.

"Okay, tell your men, quietly, to get their gear together. As soon as you get the all clear, you take your men and head for the Beta site. Since this one's been compromised, we'll need to get all we can to safety, including the package in medical." Mitchell sighed heavily then shot a look back at the privacy curtain as a loud cry emanated from behind it.

"Jackson?" he called worriedly.

"Get Carolyn! Now!" Daniel was past frantic, trying to hold his beloved Vala down on the medical bed as she growled in agony, arching upward against him. Mitchell went running in the direction he had seen the woman go a few minutes before, finding her in the lab on her way to the medical area.

"Vala?" She asked without waiting for him to speak. Cam nodded, suddenly unable to find the words to explain. She was off and running then, leaving him behind.

"…the hell is Carolyn?" Daniel screamed as she pushed open the door and hurried in. Stepping past the privacy curtain, Carolyn tried to keep as professional as possible. "Dr. Jackson, put this on." She ordered, handing him a scrubs gown and gloves. Vala let loose with a half grunt-half scream of pure animal pain as she strained to give birth. "This just happened? She wasn't fighting like this a few minutes ago?" She went on, preparing Vala to give birth.

"She was fine until about two minutes ago, then this." Daniel replied.

Carolyn nodded, already aware that the baby was in the right position to be birthed. The fates were smiling, so far.

But would Vala and the baby live through the process of bringing the child into the world?

Time alone would tell.


	20. Chapter 20

Vala screamed, arching her back as pain racked her from the inside. Daniel gripped her shoulders and pulled her up against him and sat beside her, giving her comfort.

"Almost there, Vala. A few more good pushes like that one, and your baby will be here. How are you doing? Can Mitchell get you anything?" Lam asked kindly.

"Why him?" Daniel barked harshly. "Why not me?"

"He's the one that brought her here, he can be the one that fetches everything she needs while you stay and take the verbal abuse." Lam shot back, moving to gently rub her friend's shoulders as Vala stayed against Daniel.

"He did it to protect my son, my little Dacodah." Vala whimpered from somewhere in Daniel's chest. He cupped the back of her head as her body began tightening, Lam noticed and nodded once. "Ready? Push!" She ordered firmly. Vala sucked in a deep breath and bore down, spots appearing in the middle of her vision at the intensity she harbored.

"It hurts!" She grunted out as tears leaked from her eyes. She could dimly hear Daniel counting for her, his voice excited. Ten. She had to get to ten. She could rest then.

When the magical number finally hit her ears, she let herself fall back, exhausted.

Thirty-nine hours of labor, and counting.

"I can see the head, I think just one more push and your baby's going to be here, Vala." Lam smiled, pulling away. Vala barely had time to nod as another contraction hit her, nearly doubling her over with the intensity. Letting out a scream, she bore down against the pain, felt something tear inside her and then after several seconds of pure, white hot agony, her body was strangely empty. It felt…different. She was so used to sharing her body with the small being inside her that she had forgotten what it was to be alone again. She felt that with Adria, once, many long and unhappy years ago.

Forcing the thought of the Ori's Messiah from her, Vala suddenly realized Daniel wasn't happy. No glad shouts at his son's birth. The baby, it wasn't crying. A stunned silence had come over them all, and that blasted darkness was trying to come for her again. She felt the pillow give way beneath her head as she collapsed into it, exhausted and shaking, forcing herself to stay awake as the darkness swirled into her vision. "What's wrong with my baby? Someone, Daniel, answer me!" She pleaded, her voice hoarse from the screaming. Carolyn tore herself away from Daniel, going back to Vala and beginning the post birth exam. "Tell me!" Vala pleaded, her voice cracking as tears spilled down her face.

"Vala, I'm sorry. The cord was around the baby's neck, and it got stuck during the labor. The placenta tore away from the uterus when the baby came, I need to do surgery to stop the bleeding." Carolyn explained gently.

"The baby, let me see him, please, I need to hold him!" Vala begged, struggling weakly against her friend. She could see a tiny foot over Daniel's arm, lying against his skin limp and blue.

And he was…it looked like he was…

Before she could figure things out further, Carolyn glanced back to see what held her eyes. She pulled the curtain to shield Vala from the sight before it caused her any undue stress. Moving swiftly to Daniel's side, she reached up to take the infant from him. "Dr. Jackson, it's okay. Give the baby to me." She urged.

"Jackson, let it go." Cam echoed an order gently.

But it wasn't their baby.

With his free hand, Daniel shoved Carolyn away from the still infant, turned his back on Mitchell. Infant CPR was something he had learned with Jack, on the sly, hoping it would never be needed, but now he was more than grateful the older man had firmly 'suggested' it. As if Jack knew, somehow, what would happen. When Cam entered his line of vision again, Daniel delivered a swift kick to the man's family jewels, nothing would get between him and the infant he cradled so tenderly. Over the last few months he had watched Vala nearly double in size, felt the kicking of his baby under her skin. Had even talked about names. Now that his child was a reality, something tangible, he felt completed on a level of himself that he never knew existed. As he breathed into the baby again, he felt it shudder under his grip and drew back to see the little eyes flutter open a second before it let out a wail of protest at it's undignified entrance into this strange place. Vala gasped, leaning forward and he drew closer to her, stepping over Cam's moaning form on the ground to get to her.

"Let me hold my baby," Vala pleaded weakly. He set the baby in her arms as a tech approached with a pair of scissors and a clamp to cut the umbilical cord.

Carolyn was instantly there, placing an oxygen mask over the baby's nose and mouth, rubbing at the infant's chest to continue reviving it. "Congratulations. Both of you. Good job, Daniel. You saved your daughter's life there." She said quickly.

"A girl? Are you sure? We had a girl?" Vala asked weakly, struggling to keep herself awake, surprised by the news. "You said you thought it was a boy, the heartbeat was strong and it kicked enough, like a boy."

"You never wanted me to check for sure, remember? I was only making an educated guess at the gender, based on textbook fact. Although, you two aren't exactly textbook cases yourselves, so we should probably throw out the books when it comes to your baby. Have you two thought of a name yet?" Carolyn asked.

"We have. Dacodah Samm Jackson-Mal Doran." Daniel smiled at the thought. "But that was before we had a girl. But it works for either gender, I think."

"Actually, I want to give her a different name." Vala murmured as her arms relaxed. Daniel looked to the tech who held the birth certificate and shook his head quickly, cancelling the name. "Let's get her into surgery." Lam ordered, locking the guardrails into place and beginning to roll the medical bed into the makeshift operating room.

"Yo, Jackson, you ever go after my manhood again, all bets are off, I'm gonna' kill ya'." Mitchell grunted out as he painfully got to his feet.

"Next time will go pretty much the same as this one. I kick you, you go down." Daniel replied absently.

"Congratulations, by the way. She's beautiful. How's Vala?"

"She's going in for surgery, Carolyn's with her. Hey, what do you think of the name Michaela Chantalle?"

"I like it. For a high priced call girl from New York, maybe. Not for this little thing of beauty. Sorry about earlier, Jackson. I just figured that you were…well that maybe you needed a little help letting go of her. Before she was screaming I mean." Cam moved to look down at the baby, a smile lighting his face.

"Yeah, no harm no foul, right? I mean, you were trying to get me to accept that my baby died, I kicked you in a place sacred to men, we're good, right?" Daniel replied.

"Oh, yeah. 'course. Although, you attack the baby makers again, I'll kill ya'. Got any other ideas on what you guys are gonna' name her?"

"Jury's still out, we were thinking either Dacodah Samm or Jonathan Melbourne. Although, in retrospect it seems to lose a little in the girl department. Maybe Jennette? Zara? Tikvah?"

"Jennette is too long, Zara sounds like an actress that should be married to a billionaire, and I have no clue about Tikvah. What's it mean?"

"Yiddish for jewel. What about Zoie Jade?"

"Uh-uh, stripper name. Trust me on this, some old dude hears her name, he's gonna' wanna' stick singles in her diaper. Then again, that might help with little lady's college fund, so, not a bad idea." Cameron smirked.

"Do I even know you?" Daniel shot back

The two turned as one when Carolyn came hurrying back through the door, looking flustered.

"Vala says you're not to name the baby until she's back from surgery, on pain of death. She doesn't like any of the names you just tossed out, and if she comes back and the certificate is signed by you, with her name crappy, Vala's going to kick you in the place you kicked Cam. Just to warn you." She ordered firmly before disappearing again. Cam stared after her in silent surprise.

"Damn." He finally breathed.

"Yeah." Daniel couldn't help grinning. "We're owned by the finest women ever, and we got suckered in without a fight. I hope my little girl doesn't figure it out."

"Good luck with that one, but from here it looks like she's already got you under her spell. Listen, when Vala gets out of the operating room, we may have to make a run for the gate. If anything goes down, as I think it will, where do you want me?" Cam asked. Daniel looked up from studying his daughter's face.

"What?"

"If anything goes down when we go back through the gate, which one of them you want me guarding? Vala? Or Baby Girl Jackson?"

Daniel swallowed hard, his eyes returning to his little girl.

"Jackson-Mal Doran." He managed softly, eyes filling with tears over the decision he had to make.

"Vala would kill me if I asked you to stay with her, leaving our baby vulnerable. If you see me go down, go for the baby. Even if it means leaving Vala open." He finally spoke out. Cam nodded once and was gone.


	21. Chapter 21

They had made it. Daniel couldn't believe it, almost, had to keep asking Vala to pinch him. After the fifth time, Jack had taken matters into his own hands, handed the as yet unnamed baby over to Vala and escorted Daniel to the boxing ring where he ensured Daniel that, yes, the archeologist was wide awake.

Now, Daniel was staring at the securely wrapped bundle in Vala's arms as the baby fed hungrily, unsure whether to burst out yelling for joy or merely bask in the glow that was his daughter. Reaching out, he gently brushed a hand over her mop of hair, his fingers finding her head under the tangle of black curls. "We did okay, right? " Vala asked worriedly.

"We did really good. I like having her around, provided she doesn't scream through the night, drool on my shirt, pee and poop constantly without cleaning herself, and scream when she doesn't get fed instantly. I think once we get her to agree to those terms, we'll be fine." Daniel teased gently.

"Darling." Vala smiled, then turned her attention back to her baby.

"Hey, just got in from off world, on my way to get cleaned up and my physical, thought I'd swing by and see the little one, say congratulations, hi, you know." Sam called softly from the doorway.

"Come see her, Samantha! She's absolutely enchanting." Vala replied, sitting up enough to hug her friend.

"Can I hold her when I get back from getting cleaned up? I don't want to get her dirty or anything right now." Sam hugged Vala gently, careful not to aggravate the woman's birthing injuries.

"Absolutely. Come back whenever you want, we'll be here still staring at her." Daniel teased the bottom of his daughter's tiny foot and she pulled it away instantly.

"Ticklish." he chuckled, going after it again. Without releasing her food source, the baby let out a high-pitched whimper as she pulled away from him.

"Daniel." Vala pulled the blanket over to cover the tiny feet, gently resituating the baby in her arms.

"I've got you. You're okay now." She soothed.

_Unseen in the corner of the infirmary, one man and two women watched the two with their daughter._

_"The child will be safe?" Ganos Lal asked softly._

_"She will be safe, yes. The galaxies are endless playgrounds to be explored, now that the Go'auld and Ori threats have been exterminated. Should they choose the Pegasus Galaxy to reside in, their little girl will be safe from the Wraith threat as well." Oma Desala replied._

_"They look happy." Ganos smiled after a time._

_"Yes. Their happiness has now grown, and they are a complete familial unit, as per the agreement Daniel Jackson and I reached upon his decision to descend as a human, his first time as one of us."_

_"Vala? Will she be alright?"_

_"I didn't bring endless joy and true love into Daniel's life just to snatch it away again. It was my part of the bargain, the first time he descended." Oma smiled slightly at the sight of Daniel gently stroking his daughter's hair._

_"What was the bargain?" Myrdin asked._

_"Daniel did not want to leave us, as you well know. He wished to stay and continue on the plane of Ascension, but he was needed among his people. Therefore, I made a bargain with him for his return. I would grant him the desire of his heart if he would only return to assist his people. My only stipulation was that I choose the woman and the time." Oma sighed gently._

_"His greatest desire was to have a child?" Ganos asked with a smile._

_Oma shook her head gently in response._

_"A family. Daniel Jackson has many friends, but no one to call his own. He bargained with me that I would bring a family into his life before he became too old to enjoy it. I agreed, but wiped the entire bargain from his mind in order to give myself time to find the perfect woman for him. I felt he needed someone to lift his spirits when he became numb to the horrors he faced everyday. Vala Mal Doran has done so, repeatedly. A child was not far off after that, but I needed to pick the right time for her as well."_

_"I had thought you would choose Samantha Carter to bring about his child."_

_"Yes, and for a time I believed that myself. However, the attraction between Daniel Jackson and Samantha Carter was not nearly as great as that of Daniel and Vala Mal Doran. I chose them, for several reasons."_

_Ganos sighed dreamily and looked to her companion, a glint of mischief in her eyes._

_"Why Oma, I do not recall you ever being such a romantic at heart." She teased. Oma laughed softly at her words and brushed away a tear at the sight of the couple with their small daughter._

_Myrdin smiled when Jack entered the small room and gave his congratulations before hurrying out again, his eyes drifting over in the direction of the Ancients as if he knew they were there. Oma knew Jack couldn't sense them, had no fear that their time on the human plane of existence would be interrupted._

_"Vala needed to heal from the pain of losing the Orici. A small part of her had always wanted a child, to lose the one thing in her life that truly meant the world to her, she was almost destroyed by the heartache. She was sure that she would never carry another child, not after everything she was told by the Orici. A child will end her pain and ease the guilt over losing Adria to the Ori. With this child, she can see how her life should have gone, how she wanted to have raised her first child. Daniel's emotional trauma over losing Sha're to the Go'auld will still trouble him occasionally, but he has a woman so unlike her in every way, she has opened his heart to receiving love. For a time he believed he would never love again, despaired of ever having a family to call his own. Of having someone that was his, and his alone. That is why I allowed Vala to cross his path. From their first brief meeting aboard the Prometheus I knew they were to bring about the child. I have carefully guided them back into one another's lives each time they spiraled outwards, Vala to her many whims, Daniel to his many projects. They will learn from each other, growing in strength. And, eventually, their grandchildren will cement the bond they share." Oma smiled. "She will be the beacon of light in the darkness they carry. And, as darkness lifts when light is brought forth, their troubles will so fade away when their child comes to them, surrounding them with her eternal love."_

_"Will they have another child?" Ganos asked eagerly._

_"No. One child. That was the agreement that was struck. One child. Vala could not carry a child to term, as set down by the Ori. Therefore, I had to begin her labor early. And Ganos, starting the rumor that the child and Vala had both perished during the birth. Now Jacek has returned the crystals and they can go home, beginning their new life together as a family." Oma watched as Myrdin and Ganos faded into nothing, leaving the human's plane of existence finally, having seen all they wanted._

_She was alone. Drifting forward, she gently touched the infant's cheek and leaned down to place a ghosted kiss on the dark curls._

_"May you grow up to never know adversity or fears, my darling. And remember, should you ever have need of us, you have merely to call my name. Oma Desala." Oma whispered to the baby before she, too, faded into nothing, leaving the infant to stare after her wonderingly while the name burned itself into her tiny mind, buried until her subconscious should need it._


End file.
